THE EXHIBITION

This is an exhibition for children, based on a story by the local author Rasmus Løland. The exhibition takes visitors into a theatrical fantasy world that they can see and hear and also dress up and play various fairytale roles.

See a short film of the exhibition here.

THE STORY OF KVITEBJØRNEN
The story tells of four boys, Pål, Gunnar, Kolbjørn and Andres who are between 9 and 12 years old. They live in a rural area of Ryfylke, just like the author. Play and fantasy allow them to make the tools they will need in their meeting with the adult world.

The boys make a huge white bear of snow, hollow it out and get inside. Then they begin to imagine that the bear starts moving. They go with the bear to the North Pole and then back south again to the King’s farm. On their journey they pass one castle after another, one of bronze, one of silver and finally, one in shining gold.

The trolls that live in each castle have captured the king’s daughters, but the White Bear rescues them all. When he finally arrives at the king’s farm, he is highly praised for having rescued the princesses.

Visitors can listen to the story at the exhibition or sit down in the reading nook to read about the White Bear or any of the other children’s books that have been chosen for the Exhibition.

RASMUS LØLAND – A PIONEER IN NORWEGIAN CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

Rasmus Løland (1861-1907) was born at Løland Farm in Hylsfjorden in Ryfylke. He had an unassumingly pleasant childhood as the son of quiet, deeply religious parents.

Løland’s first book, Folkeliv (Folk-life), was published in 1891 when he was 30 years old. Many books followed that one before he died of tuberculous when only 46 years of age. Several biographies have been written about Løland, among these Rasmus Løland, Barnebokpioneren frå Ryfylke, by local historian Ernst Berge Drange.

THE BACKGROUND FOR THE EXHIBITION

A commemoration of Løland was conducted between 2007 and 2011 as a four-year project marking Rasmus Løland’s birth (1881) and death (1907). The project was concluded with the Løland exhibition, “Kvitebjørnen”.

Its goal was to create an interactive exhibition that would stimulate children’s imagination and wonderment. With this, Ryfylkemuseet hoped to develop greater interest and enthusiasm for children’s culture and New Norwegian literature for children and young people. The exhibition was opened on April 27^th, 2011, and can be visited at Ryfylkemuseets main building, Nesasjøhuset.

Rasmus Løland wrote “Kvitebjørnen” in 1906. The book contains several individual stories that can be read separately. Of these stories, the one about a White Bear and the four boys is the basis for the exhibition.

“Kvitebjørnen” is a sequel to “Det store Nashornet” (The Great Rhinoceros), which was published in 1900 and is one of the very first Norwegian children’s books written from a child’s point of view.

ARRIVING HERE

Nesasjøhuset has a first-rate location at Nordenden in the shore town of Strand.