Faldbakken's Vandal-Proof Memorial Upholding Opens in Oslo
In Oslo's new Government Quarter, Matias Faldbakken's stone mosaic titled Upholding (2026) was inaugurated as a national tribute to the victims of the terrorist attacks in Oslo and Utøya in 2011. Curated by KORO, this artwork was chosen from ten competing artist and architect teams at the National Museum of Norway in June 2024. The memorial pays tribute to the seventy-seven victims, many of whom were participants in the AUF summer camp. Upholding showcases a red exterior that represents resistance and an intricate interior mosaic made up of approximately 300,000 stones, featuring a greenshank and the names of the victims in raised lettering. Designed to withstand vandalism, it replaces Jonas Dahlberg's 2017 project, Memory Wound. Critics have praised its stark realism and its dual role as both a political statement and a space for mourning.
Key facts
- Matias Faldbakken's Upholding (2026) is a national memorial in Oslo's Government Quarter.
- The memorial commemorates the victims of the 2011 terrorist attacks in Oslo and on Utøya.
- The work was curated by KORO (Public Art Norway) and selected by a jury.
- Ten artist and architect groups presented proposals at the National Museum of Norway in June 2024.
- The mosaic consists of around 300,000 stones produced with Fantini Mosaici.
- The memorial includes a greenshank bird motif and the names of the victims in raised lettering.
- Upholding is designed to be vandal-proof, a factor considered by security assessors.
- It replaces the shelved Memory Wound by Jonas Dahlberg, abandoned in 2017.
- Faldbakken's work reflects on the rise of troll culture and the alt-right.
- The memorial has two faces: a red front and a softer interior.
Entities
Artists
- Matias Faldbakken
- Pablo Picasso
- Carl Nesjar
- Jonas Dahlberg
Institutions
- KORO (Public Art Norway)
- National Museum of Norway
- Fantini Mosaici
- AUF (Workers' Youth League)
- Paragone
Locations
- Oslo
- Norway
- Utøya
- Tyrifjorden
- Milan
- Italy