Fjord Oslo: Norway’s capital celebrates peace at open-air light art festival

Oslo is decking itself out with messages of tranquility as Norway's capital hosts the fifth edition of Fjord Oslo, an international outdoor light art festival. The event, spanning the city, gathers artists from various nations who illuminate buildings, public areas, and the Nobel Peace Center through their installations. This year's iteration delves into the concept of peace via art and shared encounters, as part of the IMAGINE PEACE European Union-funded cultural initiative.

Emphasizing peace's broader scope, the festival examines subjects such as warfare, tenacity, liberty, and mutual existence. Anastasia Isachsen, the organizer and light artist, highlights the significance of presenting the festival in Oslo, the birthplace of the Nobel Peace Prize. She expresses the hope that the event will deliver a robust message by committing to the theme of peace. Besides addressing global and international peace, the festival also explores the personal dimensions of peace for each individual.

Croatian artist Marko Bolkovic reveals that his team inquired six countries involved in the festival to encapsulate peace in a single word. The responses included terms like father, friendship, mother, and friends, emphasizing that peace often transcends war and related concepts. Norwegian visitor Ulrich Lauridsen contends that art has the potential to transform perceptions regarding peace.

He asserts that while art cannot halt a conflict, it can inspire more individuals to desire peace, considering life too valuable to be marred by wars and disputes.

For Kenyan visitor Faith Imani, peace fundamentally revolves around freedom. To her, it signifies the liberty to depart, the ability to coexist with others, and the opportunity to traverse the world alongside everyone else. The notion of unencumbered existence and mutual coexistence resonates deeply with her understanding of peace.