Week 29 - 2019
Helge Mikalsen, Utøya 27. juli 2011. Preus Museum Collection
Utøya
This photo give rise to a lot of feelings and thoughts. The image itself is quite simple; a few roses floating and reflecting in quiet water. The focus is on the background, where we see an island covered in trees. The sky is heavy with clouds.
The image speaks of a catastrophe. An act of terrorism. A completely unimaginable event that shook a small country out of a sense of safety. Eight years have passed since the massacre on Utøya. A quiet and simple image can encompass much more than itself, and because of the story surrounding it, it is experienced as dramatic and sorrowful. When we read images, we always carry our own stories along with us.
Helge Mikalsen is a photographer for VG. This image, together with many others can be seen in our mini exhibition “Iconic images” at Preus Museum.