Proposal for Norway’s National Memorial for 22 July
In commemoration of the terror attacks of 22 July 2011, Norway will establish a national memorial in connection with the new Government Quarter in central Oslo. KORO (Public Art Norway) is commissioned to lead the project’s first phase. Raqs Media Collective has been shortlisted as one of three finalists for the same.
Raqs’ proposal engages with the question of what is remembered and why. The design is inspired by a poignant image from the 22nd July Memorial Center: a broken clock from Møllergata 19, shattered at the impact of the first explosion. This symbol of a fractured moment in time, or what Raqs refers to as “broken time,” serves as the starting point.
In its fractured form, the clock is remeniscent of the silhouette of a bird’s wingspan in flight, leading to the discovery of the white-throated Dipper (Fossekall), a small yet tenacious creature revered as Norway’s national bird. The resilient spirit of the Dipper reinterprets the broken clock as a soaring symbol—suggesting that even after devastation, time can be transmuted into a force for renewal. The design envisions a dynamic interplay: a flock of birds, simultaneously ascending and descending, in a continuous process of becoming and unbecoming.
The exploration further drew on the curves of 18th-century astronomical observatory, Jantar Mantar in New Delhi— with arcs, columns, and spokes that measured both timed the heavens. These instruments, which invite the observer to become part of the measurement, echo the rising wingspan of a bird in flight. This dialogue between the architectural heritage of Delhi and the commemorative space in Oslo seemingly would set the stage for a global conversation on memory and time.
The vision informs a design that does not silence visitors but rather creates a space for thoughtful pause and meaningful conversation. Recognizing that a memorial should not leave people immobilized by grief—an outcome that would fulfill the terrorists’ intent—the design embraces the idea of shared sorrow. As one survivor’s mother expressed, there is a desire to experience a “good sadness” together. In this way, the memorial encourages dialogue, collective mourning, and an environment where grief and hope coexist, empowering visitors to speak, remember, and heal.
Raqs propose a time-oasis where we assemble, converse, mourn, reflect and wonder, with 12 bird-clocks poised between rest and ascent with 11 time-telling wingspans, making porous forums with no centre or periphery. The memorial offers time itself as the material of the act of remembrance.
Read Raq’s Proposal here
