Oslo unveils 12m mosaic memorial for 77 victims of 2011 attack

The Norwegian capital opened a new memorial honoring the 77 victims of the July 22, 2011 terror attacks in Oslo and on Utoeya island, officials and relatives said at the inauguration held days before the 15th anniversary.

The contemporary artwork, called Upholding, features a 12-metre stone mosaic depicting a small wading bird native to Utoeya, supported by a large blue steel frame and accompanied by straw, sticks and a pile of pebbles reflecting in the water.

The memorial stands in Oslo’s renovated government district near the site of the car bomb blast that began the attack. The names of all 77 victims are engraved on the monument.

Artist Matias Faldbakken said he had seen the bird on Utoeya island and designed the work both to remember the victims and to engage the public in democratic resilience against the far-right ideology that inspired the attack.

Crown Prince Haakon, government officials, survivors and relatives attended the unveiling. Haakon also visited the 22 July Centre, Norway’s national memorial and education centre dedicated to the attacks.

Anders Breivik carried out the attacks on 22 July 2011, detonating a bomb in Oslo that killed eight people and then fatally shooting 69 mostly teenage attendees of a Labour Party youth camp on Utoeya island. Breivik was sentenced in 2012 to 21 years in prison, the maximum under Norwegian law, with possible extensions while he is deemed a threat; subsequent legal challenges and parole bids detailed in official records have left him in continued solitary confinement for security reasons.

Liberal News Analysis: What Does This Development Mean?

The unveiling reaffirmed official commemoration of the victims and the continued role of public memorials and the 22 July Centre in national remembrance, as reflected by attendance from the royal family, government representatives and survivor groups.

Quick Glance: What You Need to Know

• New memorial named Upholding features a 12-metre stone mosaic of a wading bird and supportive steel frame.
• The monument is located in Oslo’s renovated government district near the 2011 car bomb site and bears the engraved names of the 77 victims.
• Crown Prince Haakon, officials, survivors and relatives attended the inauguration and Haakon visited the 22 July Centre.