Street mural in Oslo promoting peace and unity

Can Street Art Really Fight Terrorism? How Norway's Creative Response Offers Hope

Lena Kashyap in Culture & Society August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Exploring the power of art and community in the face of violence: Lessons from Norway's response to the 2011 attacks."

In July 2011, Norway experienced a tragedy that shook the nation. Anders Breivik detonated a bomb in Oslo and carried out a mass shooting at a youth summer camp on the island of Utøya. In the aftermath, as the world grappled with understanding the motives and implications of the attacks, Norway chose a unique path: one of openness, dialogue, and community engagement.

While many nations reacted to terror with increased surveillance and stricter security measures, Norway turned to its values of democracy, tolerance, and human rights. This approach was reflected not only in the government's policies but also in the response of the Norwegian art community, which used street art to promote unity, challenge xenophobia, and foster a sense of collective healing.

This article explores how street art became a powerful tool in Norway's response to the 2011 attacks. It examines the ways in which artists used their creativity to express solidarity, challenge extremist ideologies, and create spaces for dialogue and reflection. By looking at the intersection of art, community, and counterterrorism, we can gain new insights into the potential of creative expression in promoting peace and resilience.

Street Art as a Voice for the Voiceless: How Art Challenges Extremism

Street mural in Oslo promoting peace and unity

The core of the Norwegian artistic reaction was a commitment to universal human rights and a rejection of intolerance and xenophobia. Street art, with its inherent visibility and accessibility, became a medium for challenging the narratives that fueled the attacks.

Unlike traditional art forms confined to galleries or museums, street art engages directly with the public in their everyday lives. It transforms public spaces into canvases for dialogue, allowing artists to express their views and invite passersby to contemplate important social and political issues.

Making the Invisible Visible: Street art can highlight the voices of marginalized communities, offering a platform for those who are often excluded from mainstream discussions.
Challenging Illiberal Governance: Art can expose the underlying logic of policies that restrict freedoms and promote division.
Promoting Creative Solutions: Artists can offer fresh perspectives on security, community, and peace, inspiring new approaches to complex challenges.

Consider the impact of murals that depict scenes of unity, tolerance, and empathy. These visual messages can counter the hateful rhetoric of extremist groups and create a sense of shared humanity. By reclaiming public spaces with positive and inclusive imagery, artists can help to build stronger and more resilient communities.

The Enduring Power of Art

The Norwegian experience demonstrates the potential of art as a force for positive change in the face of violence and extremism. By embracing creativity, promoting dialogue, and fostering community, we can build a more resilient and inclusive world. While street art is not a singular solution, it is a valuable tool for challenging harmful narratives and inspiring hope.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1177/0010836718807502, Alternate LINK

Title: Street Art As Everyday Counterterrorism? The Norwegian Art Community’S Reaction To The 22 July 2011 Attacks

Subject: Political Science and International Relations

Journal: Cooperation and Conflict

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Authors: Ioannis Tellidis, Anna Glomm

Published: 2018-10-31

Everything You Need To Know

How did the Norwegian art community specifically respond to the 2011 attacks, and what impact did their actions have?

In response to the 2011 attacks, the Norwegian art community used street art to promote unity, challenge xenophobia, and foster a sense of collective healing. This involved creating murals and public installations that depicted scenes of unity, tolerance, and empathy. This approach aimed to counter hateful rhetoric, create a sense of shared humanity, and build stronger, more resilient communities.

What makes street art a particularly effective medium for challenging extremism compared to traditional art forms?

Street art's visibility and accessibility allows it to engage directly with the public in their everyday lives, transforming public spaces into canvases for dialogue. This differs from traditional art forms, which are typically confined to galleries or museums and may not reach as broad or diverse an audience. Street art can also highlight the voices of marginalized communities, challenge illiberal governance, and promote creative solutions to complex challenges, making it a dynamic tool for social and political commentary.

What core principles guided the Norwegian artistic reaction to the 2011 attacks, and how were these principles manifested in the street art produced?

The Norwegian artistic reaction was rooted in a commitment to universal human rights and a rejection of intolerance and xenophobia. Street art was employed to challenge the narratives that fueled the attacks by visually promoting unity and empathy in public spaces. By reclaiming these spaces with inclusive imagery, artists helped build stronger and more resilient communities, fostering dialogue and reflection among residents.

Is street art a complete solution to counterterrorism, and what other factors contribute to building a resilient and inclusive society?

While street art can be a valuable tool for challenging harmful narratives and inspiring hope, it is not a singular solution to counterterrorism. It is most effective when combined with other strategies that promote community engagement, dialogue, and resilience. Street art serves as one component of a broader approach to fostering positive change in the face of violence and extremism.

What was unique about Norway's approach to counterterrorism after the 2011 attacks, and how did art play a role in this strategy?

The unique aspect of Norway's response to the 2011 attacks was its emphasis on openness, dialogue, and community engagement, reflecting values of democracy, tolerance, and human rights. Instead of primarily focusing on increased surveillance and stricter security measures like many other nations, Norway turned to its art community, empowering them to use street art as a means of promoting unity and challenging extremist ideologies. This approach demonstrated the potential of creative expression in fostering peace and resilience.