The life of a cleaning lady

The Cleaning Lady is a politically charged and satirical work. TYV likes to confront power structures and social differences with irony and visual precision. The work shows the Norwegian Crown Princess in the process of washing the floor – a clear metaphor for attempts to hide traces of her son's scandal. In the background, the Crown Prince can be seen, withdrawn, with his hands over his eyes to maintain his assumed role as ignorant and neutral.

The motif directly references real-life news reports where it was alleged that the Crown Princess had been notified of an imminent police raid on their son, and then cleaned his house and smashed his cell phone – allegedly to prevent evidence from being seized. TYV uses this incident to take a sharp look at the double standards of power and how privileges can lead to different legal consequences.

The work balances on the border between humor and seriousness, evoking both laughter and discomfort. Various online forums have been heated with people calling it harassment and personal attacks, while others just find it witty. Beyond the gallery of characters in the work, it is more about equality before the law, double standards, incompatible roles and attempts to control the media narrative. It is worth questioning how people in power can escape responsibility where ordinary citizens cannot.

The Washerwoman was first sprayed under Nygårdsbroen, but became dirty and destroyed after just a few days. An improvised repair was carried out, enough to make the work recognizable again. Shortly afterwards, however, it was completely painted over – perhaps as an expression that the criticism was too unpleasant for some.

Later, the Washing Lady reappeared under Smørsbroen in central Bergen, restored by TYV. So we'll see how long they hang around.