In commemoration of the July 22, 2011, terrorist attacks, Norway has established a national memorial in the New Government Quarter in central Oslo. The artist Matias Faldbakken has been commissioned to create his sculpture “Upholding.” The National Memorial for July 22 opened in Oslo’s New Government Quarter.

The Matias Faldbakken sculpture consists of a building and a large mosaic image that connects the two sites of the terror attack: Utøya and the Government Quarter. KORO and Statsbygg are supervising the project, which was unveiled in July, 2026.

With his proposal titled Upholding, the Norwegian artist Matias Faldbakken won the international competition to design the National 22 July Memorial in Oslo‘s new Government Quarter.

Monumental and caring

Matias Faldbakken’s Upholding is based on re-erecting the large steel rig built to cut out and relocate Pablo Picasso’s The Fishermen from the demolished Y-block to the new A-block. In this version, the rig will be filled with a monumental stone mosaic.

The mosaic’s imagery is drawn from the island of Utøya – a drawing of a small wader and some reeds and twigs reflected in the waters of the Tyrifjord. The other side of the rig shows the pattern of the braced frame once used to hold The Fishermen, rendered as a geometric relief painted in deep blue, deep green, and vivid red.

The rig and the mosaic serve as a link between the two scenes of the terrorist attack, the Government Quarter and Utøya.

As part of the work on the national memorial, the artist initiated a collaborative process to finalize the mosaic image. Together with the 22 July Center and KORO, Faldbakken invited survivors, the bereaved, teenagers, and members of the public to lay stones in the memorial mosaic alongside Faldbakken.

Over a three-week period, about 2,000 people contributed to adding the last 7,000 stones in a provisional workshop at the new memorial site. The final stone was laid by Merete Stamneshagen, chair of The National Support Group, after July 22, whose daughter was killed at Utøya. The collaborative effort marked the end of a long process that has involved many participants.

Background

The bombing in Oslo and the massacre on the island of Utøya on July 22, 2011, were the worst terrorist attacks in modern Norwegian history. Eight people were killed in the Government Quarter in central Oslo, and 69 were killed on Utøya, an island outside the capital that is the historic home of a summer camp organized by the Norwegian Labor Party’s youth wing (AUF). Most of the victims were young people. Many more were injured and faced life-threatening danger, both in the Government Quarter and on Utøya. The damage was enormous.

The attacks were politically motivated and carried out by a Norwegian right-wing extremist who targeted democratic institutions, particularly the Labor Party, and politically active youth. The terrorist’s atrocities have no precedent in Norwegian history.

In 2012, the government decided to establish two official memorials, one at Utøya and the other in the Government Quarter in Oslo.

Matias Faldbakken (born 1973) is a prominent Norwegian contemporary artist and author based in Oslo. Known for conceptual works that subvert industrial objects and graffiti, he represented Norway at the 2005 Venice Biennale.

Faldbakken’s multidisciplinary practice frequently explores the tension among vandalism, readymade materials, and formal abstraction.

Notable highlights of his career include:

• The 22 July Memorial: Selected to create the monumental “Upholding” sculpture for the July 22 memorial site in central Oslo.
• International Exhibitions: Featured in Documenta 13 (2012) and held solo exhibitions at the Fridericianum (Kassel) and WIELS (Brussels).
• Literary Work: Alongside his visual art, he is an acclaimed author who has published several novels (often under the pseudonym Abo Rasul).
• Representation: His work is showcased globally and is held in the collections of major institutions such as the Centre Pompidou and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

A National Memorial for 22 July Opened in Oslo’s New Government Quarter, based on press releases.
Feature image (top) © Niklas Hart/KORO.