Picturing 125 years

The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded for the first time on 10 December 1901. Through war, liberation struggles and the fight for human rights, photographers have stood on the front line documenting the price of peace, often at great risk to their own lives and freedom. Now, NTB has explored its own archives as well as international photographic collections. The result is the exhibition The Price of Peace.

“Press photography plays a vital role as a witness to history. That is why we are so grateful to collaborate with NTB on this exhibition,” says Kjersti Fløgstad, Director of the Nobel Peace Center.

“The Price of Peace demonstrates how the Nobel Peace Prize has reflected the state of the world and remained consistently relevant, provoking reactions ranging from hope and admiration to criticism and controversy.”

The Stories Behind the Prize

Thousands of photographs were considered before the curators made their final selection. Among the images are world-famous photographs such as Tank Man in Beijing, displayed alongside the photograph of the empty chair at the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. Together, they illustrate the circumstances surrounding the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo.

The Price of Peace draws on both NTB’s own photographic archives and images from the international news agencies that NTB represents in Norway.

“Behind the award ceremonies in Oslo City Hall, with their elegantly dressed guests and members of the Royal Family in attendance, there is often a far more serious and sombre reality,” says Christina Dorthellinger Nygaard, News Editor at NTB.

“Some of the photographs in the exhibition are internationally iconic, while others are what I would call hidden treasures. Yet they all possess a striking power that is difficult to ignore.”

Nobel Peace Prize Moments to Remember

Alongside images depicting the brutality of war and the struggle against racism and oppression, from Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela to Malala Yousafzai, the exhibition also captures moments of hope, warmth and celebration.

Visitors will be reunited with memorable moments from Nobel Week celebrations in the streets of Oslo. From South African laureate Albert Luthuli experiencing snow for the first time outside the Royal Palace in 1960, to María Corina Machado, who in 2025, after a twelve-hour delay, received the public’s enthusiastic welcome on Karl Johans gate.

The exhibition opens to the public on 12 December, alongside this year’s Nobel Peace Prize exhibition. On Wednesday 18 November, the public and media are invited to an exclusive preview evening featuring extended museum opening hours and special guided tours of The Price of Peace.

EDITORS' NOTE

NTB and the Nobel Peace Center invite members of the press to a private exhibition preview on Wednesday 18 November at 16:00.

Available for interviews:

• Kjersti Fløgstad, Director, Nobel Peace Center
• Christina Dorthellinger Nygaard, News Editor, NTB

Members of the press who wish to attend the preview or arrange an advance viewing of the exhibition at another time are welcome to contact:

Nobel Peace Center press contact: Ingvill Bryn Rambøl
ibr@nobelpeacecenter.org

NTB press contact: Christina Dorthellinger Nygaard
christina.dorthellinger@ntb.no

FACTS ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

• Title:The Price of Peace: Picturing 125 Years
• Venue: Nobel Peace Center, Oslo
• Exhibition period: 12 December 2026 – August 2027
• Produced by: NTB, represented by Håkon Mosvold Larsen, and the Nobel Peace Center, represented by Tara Bamberg
• Supported by: Fritt Ord Foundation

About the Nobel Peace Center

• one of Norway's most visited museums, with more than 200.000 visitors per year, including school groups
• presents the story of Alfred Nobel, the Nobel Peace Prize laureates and their work
• is situated in the heart of Oslo, near the City Hall
• Kjersti Fløgstad is the Executive Director, Kristian Berg Harpviken is Chair of the Board
• Main partners are Hydro, Reitan Retail and EY