ExhibitionSep 12, 2025-Apr 7, 2026

War is Peace?

The exhibition, person standing in front of an installation — Photo: Johannes Granseth / Nobel Peace Center

This autumn’s major exhibition at the Nobel Peace Center presents artworks spanning three centuries, leaving us with an unsettling question: Has anything truly changed?

12.09.2025-07.04.2026

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Audioguide

Our audioguide is free to use and will give you a deeper dive into the exhibition

War is Peace?  is a group exhibition featuring works from the 19th century to the present day—from Francisco Goya’s harrowing depictions of war, through Yoko Ono’s activist pieces, to Barbara Kruger’s bold, graphic messages.

Is violence an inevitable part of human nature? Can peace be more than just the absence of conflict? Can we imagine a peace founded on care, justice, and belonging? In a time of global disorder, War is Peace? challenges us to confront uncomfortable truths and envision paths to peace that we may not yet have words for.

War is Peace?  will be on display at the Nobel Peace Center from 12 September 2025 until 7 April 2026.

The exhibition features works by Antoine d’Agata, Carolina Caycedo, Marius Engh, Ernst Friedrich, Francisco Goya, Nanna Heitmann, Barbara Kruger, and Yoko Ono.

What does the title War is Peace mean?

War is Peace is taken from George Orwell’s iconic novel 1984. The Party that rules the dystopian one-party state of Oceania, as described in the book, uses language as a tool of power to suppress the population. One of their slogans is War is Peace. War keeps the population united and obedient, which creates a kind of internal peace and stability within society.

Dive into the topic:

Two people looking into a book with goya illustrations

War is Peace?

Dive into the topic:

Article

Goya: A hidden gem in a dark vault

Article

Art that challenges the rhetorics of war and peace

Exhibition

The Medal Chamber