Werner Zellien – UTØYA

On 22nd of July 2011, 77 irreplaceable human lives were lost in the terrorist attacks in Oslo and on Utøya.

Disasters that are created by people against other people instils a deep sorrow. We try to understand and find answers. 

Werner Zellien (b. 1952) was the first photo artist to come to Utøya a year after the attack. He waited until the first snow had settled like a thin with blanket over the island. Early one morning in December, he started taking pictures - from pitch black darkness to the first light of day.

Zellien is not looking to reconstruct or find traces of the horrific acts. His approach to the scene shows the greatest possible respect for all those who were killed or injured and for their relatives. The picture frieze Utøya (2012) can open our thoughts about how we can relate to the terrorist attack on Utøya and, not least, how to live in a world where terror is part of the media image almost every day.

The picture frieze is shown publicly for the first time in Lillehammer Art Museum.

Curator: Nils Ohlsen