Matias Faldbakken Selected to Make a National Memorial for 22 July in Oslo, Norway

The Norwegian artist Matias Faldbakken has won the international competition to design the National 22 July Memorial in the new Government Quarter in Oslo, Norway. Faldbakken's proposal, titled Upholding, will be unveiled in summer 2026 to mark the 15th anniversary of the 22 July attack.

Overseen by KORO (Public Art Norway), Faldbakken was selected through a three-year multi-round process that was carried out by a diverse jury of eleven members and included an international open call, two rounds of competitions, and a series of public seminars.

Faldbakken’s Upholding is based on re-erecting the large steel rig that was built to cut out and relocate Pablo Picasso’s mural The Fishermen. In Faldbakken’s memorial, the rig will be filled with a monumental mosaic made of stone. The mosaic’s imagery is taken 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 structure will show the pattern of the bracing frame as a geometric relief painted in deep blue, deep green, and vivid red

Further information:

‘That serene Scandinavian facade, yet there’s terror underneath’: artist unveils design for Norwegian national memorial to 22 July attacks: The Guardian

Matias Faldbakken on his proposal: Vimeo