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Ari Mikael Behn (; , or ; 30 September 1972 – 25 December 2019) was a Norwegian author, playwright, and visual artist. Known as Mikael Bjørshol until 1996, Behn achieved early literary success with his 1999 short story collection ''Trist som faen'' ("Sad as hell"), which sold about 100,000 copies. Following his 2002 marriage to Princess Märtha Louise, he wrote four novels, two short story collections, one play and a book about his wedding, and took part in other creative and artistic endeavours such as the design of a
china China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
set named "Peacock". In the 2000s and 2010s his public activity and art were met with mixed reactions in Norway, and Behn acknowledged that many people regarded him as a "fool". From 2013 until his death he was active as a visual artist, painting in a
neo-expressionist Neo-expressionism is a style of late modernist or early- postmodern painting and sculpture that emerged in the late 1970s. Neo-expressionists were sometimes called '' Transavantgarde'', '' Junge Wilde'' or ''Neue Wilden'' ('The new wild ones'; ' ...
tradition inspired by
Jean-Michel Basquiat Jean-Michel Basquiat (; December 22, 1960 – August 12, 1988) was an American artist who rose to success during the 1980s as part of the Neo-expressionism movement. Basquiat first achieved fame as part of the graffiti duo SAMO, alongside Al ...
. Behn's artwork, described as "highly narrative", was widely exhibited internationally in 2017–18. From 2002 to 2017 he was married to Princess Märtha Louise, the elder child of King Harald V. Behn held no title or special status during the marriage, and remained a private
citizen Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection". Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
.


Background and early life

Behn was born as Ari Mikael Bjørshol in 1972 in
Aarhus Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and approximately northwes ...
, Denmark, to Olav Bjørshol (b. 1952) and Marianne Rafaela Solberg (b. 1953), Norwegians who were both Waldorf teachers and who married in 1973. The family lived in Aarhus, then in
Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymou ...
, England, where his father trained as a photographer, and then in Tennevoll in Northern Norway where his mother worked as a teacher at the local school from 1977 to 1978. In 1978 the family settled in
Moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) ''sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and horn ...
in
South Norway South Norway (, ) is the southern and by far most populous half of Norway, consisting of the regions of Western Norway, Eastern Norway, Southern Norway (Agder) and Trøndelag (Central Norway). In English, South Norway was historically also known ...
. Bjørshol was baptized and confirmed in
The Christian Community The Christian Community (german: Die Christengemeinschaft) is an esoteric Christian denomination. It was founded in 1922 in Switzerland by a group of ecumenically oriented, mainly Lutheran theologians and ministers led by liberal theologian F ...
and attended the
Waldorf School Waldorf education, also known as Steiner education, is based on the educational philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthroposophy. Its educational style is holistic, intended to develop pupils' intellectual, artistic, and practical skil ...
in Moss from 1979. In 1983, his parents divorced and married a couple who had been among their friends, Jan Pahle and Tone Bjerke, who had previously been married to each other. Tone Bjerke had family connections to several prominent cultural figures; she was the daughter of the well-known poet André Bjerke, and her extended family included people like writer
Jens Bjørneboe Jens Ingvald Bjørneboe (9 October 1920 – 9 May 1976) was a Norwegian writer whose work spanned a number of literary formats. He was also a painter and a Waldorf school teacher. Bjørneboe was a harsh and eloquent critic of Norwegian society an ...
(father's cousin), actress
Henny Moan Henny Moan (born 22 February 1936) is a Norwegian actress from Finnmark. She has had a long career in theatre, but is best known for her roles in certain classics of Norwegian cinema, such as the Oscar-nominated '' Nine Lives'' (1957) and '' La ...
(stepmother) and singer
Ole Paus Ole Paus (born 9 February 1947; full name ''Ole Christian Paus'') is a Norwegian singer, songwriter, poet and author, who is widely regarded as the foremost troubadour of the contemporary Norwegian ballad tradition ( no, visebølgen). During t ...
(stepmother's new partner). In the 2000s his parents divorced Pahle and Bjerke, and they married each other for the second time in 2007. In the 1990s, he studied history and religion at the
University of Oslo The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top univers ...
, from which he received a bachelor's degree. Behn's original surname was ''Bjørshol'' and he was known by family and during his childhood and youth under the given name Mikael.''Fredrikstad Blad'' 24 May 2002 p. 2 ("frilansjournalist Mikael Bjørshol, som Ari Behn het under oppveksten i Moss") In 1996, he changed his name to Ari Behn when he took his maternal grandmother's
maiden name When a person (traditionally the wife in many cultures) assumes the family name of their spouse, in some countries that name replaces the person's previous surname, which in the case of the wife is called the maiden name ("birth name" is also used ...
. The name Behn has German origin. He had two younger siblings, Anja Sabrina and Espen, neither of whom use the name Behn. In 2009, it was made public that Behn's ''de jure'' paternal grandfather, the
Tromsø Tromsø (, , ; se, Romsa ; fkv, Tromssa; sv, Tromsö) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø. Tromsø lies in Northern Norway. The municipality is the 21s ...
lawyer Bjarne Nikolai Bjørshol, was not his biological grandfather. Behn's father met his biological father, Terje Erling Ingebrigtsen (1933–2009), a retired car mechanic from
Tromsø Tromsø (, , ; se, Romsa ; fkv, Tromssa; sv, Tromsö) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø. Tromsø lies in Northern Norway. The municipality is the 21s ...
, for the first time, but Ingebrigtsen died before Behn had a chance to meet him.


Work

Behn was a founding member of ''Den Nye Vinen'' ("The New Wine"), an anarchist artist collective announced in Oslo in 1993 that included Bertrand Bisigye, Henning Braathen, and Per Heimly. Behn achieved literary success in Norway with his first collection of short stories, titled ''Trist som faen'' ("Sad as hell"), in 1999. His work received several good reviews and sold more than 100,000 copies. As an author he is best known for his first book; he subsequently published four other novels to more mixed reviews. Together with his wife, Princess Märtha, Behn wrote a book about their wedding in 2002. He also participated in various creative projects, for example, the design of a china set named "Peacock" for Magnor Glassverk, and he was a model for a clothing chain. He also made TV documentaries, including a critical documentary on the Afghanistan War in 2002, titled ''Øst for krigen – invitert av Taliban''. Behn appeared in the comedy films ''Team Antonsen'' in 2004 and ''Long Flat Balls'' in 2006. He was a freelance writer for several newspapers and magazines. In 2011 he co-hosted the award-winning TV series ''Ari og Per'' on NRK with his friend Per Heimly. The appeal of one episode of the show was attributed, in part, to the willingness of Behn and Heimly to be authentic and vulnerable participants on camera at an Ängsbacka festival. Behn and Heimly appeared together on a later TV program, "Ari and Per Solve World Problems" on
TVNorge TVNorge (literally "TVNorway"; originally abbreviated TVN, now just abbreviated N in the logos) is a Norwegian television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA. History TVNorge went on the air on 5 December 1988 and was the first adv ...
in 2013. Behn was also a playwright; His first play, ''Treningstimen'' ("The Training Hour") debuted in 2011. Although the play was reported to have received a standing ovation from the audience on opening night, reviews overall were mixed. From 2013, until his death, Behn was active as a painter in a
neo-expressionist Neo-expressionism is a style of late modernist or early- postmodern painting and sculpture that emerged in the late 1970s. Neo-expressionists were sometimes called '' Transavantgarde'', '' Junge Wilde'' or ''Neue Wilden'' ('The new wild ones'; ' ...
tradition; he cited
Jean-Michel Basquiat Jean-Michel Basquiat (; December 22, 1960 – August 12, 1988) was an American artist who rose to success during the 1980s as part of the Neo-expressionism movement. Basquiat first achieved fame as part of the graffiti duo SAMO, alongside Al ...
as his most important inspiration. As a painter he achieved commercial success by Norwegian standards, and sold paintings for 5.7 million NOK in 2018. Behn exhibited his work internationally, including at Gabba Gallery's exhibit ''Borderless: Scandinavia'' in Los Angeles in 2018. Behn was paired with the Scandinavian painters
Mikael Persbrandt Mikael Åke Persbrandt (; born 25 September 1963) is a Swedish actor. In Swedish films, he is perhaps best known for playing Gunvald Larsson in the ''Beck'' series of movies. He is internationally known for his starring role in the Academy Awar ...
and Espen Eiborg and artwork from the trio has been shown in over 60 international galleries since 2017. Behn published ''Inferno'' in 2018 which detailed the aftermath of his divorce and included some of his struggles with mental health.


Marriage and family

On 24 May 2002, Behn married Princess Märtha Louise, the eldest child of
Harald V of Norway Harald V ( no, Harald den femte, ; born 21 February 1937) is King of Norway. He acceded to the throne on 17 January 1991. Harald was the third child and only son of King Olav V of Norway and Princess Märtha of Sweden. He was second in the l ...
. Märtha Louise is a self-described
clairvoyant Clairvoyance (; ) is the magical ability to gain information about an object, person, location, or physical event through extrasensory perception. Any person who is claimed to have such ability is said to be a clairvoyant () ("one who sees cl ...
who led her own alternative therapy center named Astarte Education/Soulspring, commonly known in Norway as the "angel school" ( no, engleskolen), which provided training in communication with angels and communication with the dead. At the time of their wedding his wife was second in the line of succession to the Norwegian throne after her younger brother; from her birth in 1971 to 1990 she was not in the line of succession at all due to Norway's
agnatic primogeniture Primogeniture ( ) is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit the parent's entire or main estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child or any collateral relativ ...
succession. She was however 26th in the line of
succession to the British throne Succession to the British throne is determined by descent, gender, legitimacy and religion. Under common law, the Crown is inherited by a sovereign's children or by a childless sovereign's nearest collateral line. The Bill of Rights 1689 an ...
at the time of her birth, being descended from
Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...
. Behn remained a private
citizen Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection". Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
and held no title, royal status or special privileges during the marriage; since 1814 Norway has no nobility and no concept of
commoner A commoner, also known as the ''common man'', ''commoners'', the ''common people'' or the ''masses'', was in earlier use an ordinary person in a community or nation who did not have any significant social status, especially a member of neither ...
s, only
citizen Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection". Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
s. They had three daughters, all of whom are also private citizens:
Maud Angelica Behn Maud Angelica Behn (born 29 April 2003) is a member of the Norwegian Royal Family. She is the first child of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and her late husband Ari Behn and the eldest grandchild of King Harald V of Norway and Queen Sonja. ...
(born 2003),
Leah Isadora Behn Leah Isadora Behn (born 8 April 2005) is a member of the Norwegian Royal family. She is the second daughter of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and her late former husband Ari Behn, and a grandchild of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway. ...
(born 2005), and Emma Tallulah Behn (born 2008). The family lived for a time in
Islington Islington () is a district in the north of Greater London, England, and part of the London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the a ...
, north London, in New York, and then in the Lommedalen valley outside Oslo. On 5 August 2016, the Royal Court announced that Princess Märtha Louise and Behn had started divorce proceedings and intended to share custody of their three daughters. They were divorced in 2017. At the time of his death Behn was in a relationship with lawyer Ebba Rysst Heilman.


Reception and press coverage

Around the turn of the century Behn and some of his friends, among them photographer Per Heimly, declared themselves to be "The New Wine." During the early 2000s Behn was often portrayed in Norwegian media as a pretentious poseur. He was known for "harsh public feuds" with critics and artists and was often the subject of ridicule in the media. In 2001 he famously challenged critic Kjetil Rolness to a duel with pistol or sword. Even his relative Ole Paus called him "Prins Kvaps von und zu Quasi" oughly: Prince Fool von und zu Fakein 2002. In later years Behn was reconciled with many of his critics from this period, and public reception became less critical in the late 2010s after he became active as a visual artist. In his final novel ''Inferno'' Behn commented on how he was viewed in Norway: "I also design tableware and wine glasses, I joke with my own position as a public figure in the media. I am a clown, in worst case. In best case, I am a debater and public figure. To many people I am a fool." Art historian Øivind Lorentz Storm Bjerke said that Behn "is sometimes portrayed as a merry amateur who suddenly decided to try his hand at art, but this is not correct ..he is part of a group of visual artists who lack formal training, but who are active in different art forms." Behn made headlines in Norwegian newspapers in the autumn of 2006, when he revealed that he voted for the
Norwegian Labour Party The Labour Party ( nb, Arbeiderpartiet; nn, Arbeidarpartiet; A/Ap; se, Bargiidbellodat), formerly The Norwegian Labour Party ( no, Det norske Arbeiderparti, DNA), is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is positioned on the cent ...
. His friendship with the former Minister of Culture and Labour leader Trond Giske attracted criticism from newspapers and politicians. In January 2009, Behn received massive media coverage in the Norwegian press after going on a "personal vendetta" against former palace official Carl-Erik Grimstad, accusing him of spreading tabloid nonsense regarding Behn and his family. Following his death Behn was widely praised for his personal qualities, and described as a caring, colourful personality. In December 2017, Behn said that the actor
Kevin Spacey Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles before gaining a leading man status in film and television. Spacey has received various accolade ...
had groped his genitals in 2007, at a nightclub during the afterparty for the
Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiology ...
concert; however he said he didn't feel violated by the incident and that he "had a wonderful time" at the party; Behn said on the talkshow '' Skavlan'': "I didn't experience it as sexual harassment ..for me it was a compliment." Following his death American media portrayed him as a "Spacey accuser", although he had not accused Spacey of wrongdoing or been involved in any legal cases against Spacey, and conspiracy theories focusing on the incident circulated on the Internet; Norwegian commentators pointed out that Behn had regarded the incident as a minor, entertaining anecdote, and accused American media of fostering conspiracy theories by blowing the incident out of proportion. Media studies scholar Gunn Enli described American coverage of Behn's death and its focus on the Spacey incident "taken out of context" as a "distorted version of reality." Behn was the subject of a documentary series that followed him during a difficult period around the time of his divorce. The three-episode series, titled ''Ari Behn og halve kongeriket'' ("Ari and the Half Kingdom"), was produced for TV3. Prior to the release of the series, Behn and members of his family made clear that they did not support the final content and withheld their approval. TV3 aired the docuseries in 2018 despite the objections of Behn, his family, and his legal representatives. After Behn's death, TV3 withdrew web access to the series on the day preceding his funeral.


Death

Behn died at his home in Lommedalen on 25 December 2019. A statement from his family said Behn had died by suicide. He had struggled with alcoholism and mental health problems. In a 2009 interview he said he was chronically depressed and lonely. The swift public announcement by the Norwegian royal family following his death was noted as unusually open and forthright; King Harald V,
Queen Sonja Sonja (born Sonja Haraldsen on 4 July 1937) is Queen of Norway since 17 January 1991 as the wife of King Harald V. Sonja and the then Crown Prince Harald had dated for nine years prior to their marriage in 1968. They had kept their relation ...
, and other members of his former wife's family as well as his own family expressed their sorrow at his death in statements released to the public. His funeral was held at Oslo Cathedral on 3 January 2020. Ari Behn's publisher said that Behn left behind a completed manuscript for a children's book which he had written with his eldest daughter Maud Angelica. It is uncertain whether the book will be published. His resting place is the Cemetery of Our Saviour.


Honours


National honours

* : Recipient of the Medal of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of King Olav V * : Recipient of the Royal House Centenary Medal * : Recipient of the King Harald V Silver Jubilee Medal


Foreign honours

* : Knight Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown * : Recipient of the 70th Birthday Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf


Bibliography

*''Trist som faen'' ("Sad as Hell"), 1999, collection of
short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...
, 93 pages, . *''Fra hjerte til hjerte'' ("From Heart to Heart"), 2002 in collaboration with wife Märtha Louise, is a book about their wedding, . *''Bakgård'' ("Backyard"), 2003, . *''Entusiasme og raseri'' ("Enthusiasm and Rage"), a
roman à clef ''Roman à clef'' (, anglicised as ), French for ''novel with a key'', is a novel about real-life events that is overlaid with a façade of fiction. The fictitious names in the novel represent real people, and the "key" is the relationship b ...
published in October 2006, . *''Vivian Seving etc.'', 2009, . *''Talent for lykke'' ("Talent for Happiness"), 2011, collection of short stories, 96 pages, . *''Tiger i Hagen'' ("Tiger in the Garden"), 2015, collection of short stories, 96 pages, . *''Inferno'', 2018, novel with paintings, 118 pages, .


References


External links


Official Website

Memorialpage for Ari Behn
{{DEFAULTSORT:Behn, Ari 1972 births 2019 deaths 20th-century Norwegian male writers Norwegian male short story writers People from Aarhus People from Moss, Norway Recipients of the Order of the Crown (Netherlands) Suicides in Norway Waldorf school alumni 21st-century Norwegian male writers University of Oslo alumni Norwegian painters 20th-century Norwegian short story writers 21st-century Norwegian short story writers 2019 suicides Painters who committed suicide