On Wednesday 23^rd October, “The Pioneer Divers from the North Sea”, an exhibition of photographs commissioned by the Storting’s Art Committee, was officially opened in the Central Hall.

 

“Were it not for the outstanding efforts of these divers, the Norwegian welfare state as we know it wouldn’t have come into being. We owe these divers a genuine thank you,” continued Mr Gharahkhani.

 

The chair of the Art Committee, Torstein Tvedt Solberg, introduced Aslak Sira Myhre, the National Librarian, in conversation with Tom Engh and Esten Fløistad, two of the pioneer divers. The event was rounded off by Vice President of the Storting, Ingrid Fiskaa, who read the poem “Han far og de” by Gunnar M. Roalkvam.

 

The portraits have been added to the Storting’s art collection (pdf). They have been given pride of place in the tunnel between the Storting’s main building and the committee building, which many MPs walk through several times a day. 

 

“These portraits, taken by Fin Serck-Hanssen, will be displayed here in the Storting and will act as a reminder to us as MPs that we must never again make the same mistake of prioritizing the nation’s development over the health of individuals,” Mr Solberg said in his introduction.

 

 

One of the most important reasons for the Storting’s purchase of these photographs is that the story of the pioneer divers is so powerful and important. Not just politically, but for the divers and their families whose lives were turned on their heads.”

 

17 divers died in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea between 1965 and 1989. This amounts to almost 6 per cent of the total number of oil workers who lost their lives during this period. Many others have suffered from work-related health issues later in life.