The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Bucharest and Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca Faculty of Letters, Department of Scandinavian Languages and Literature
have the pleasure to invite you to the event:
HAMSUN 2009, 27-28 October in Cluj-Napoca
In the „Aula” of the Faculty of European Studies (1, Em. de Martonne St.)
which marks the 150 year-anniversary of Knut Hamsun’s (1859-1952) birth. Aiming at preserving the literary legacy of the Norwegian author, winner of the Nobel Prize in literature in 1920, the anniversary year - Hamsun 2009 - is celebrated both in Norway and internationally. In Romania, the commemorative project “Hamsun 2009” consists of a cycle of conferences, with interventions from Norwegian and Romanian Hamsun- specialists, as well as a poster and a book exhibition. Old and new films inspired by Hamsun’s life and work will also be screened.
The Norwegianness exhibition was opened in Bucharest at UNAGaleria on the 8th of October 2009. Guests from all social strata attended the event which illuminates how Norwegian art is affected by today’s internationalization between self-consciousness and globalization.
The exhibition “Norwegianness” by the artists Cristina David, Merete Røstad, Nomzi Kumalo and Nirmal Dhunsi is open between October 8th and Novermber 7th and sets forth various “faces” of the Norwegian lifestyle, seen by the four very different artists but who are all connected to Norway one way or another: through birth, education or immigration. The exhibition opened by H.E. Mr. Øystein Hovdkinn, Norwegian ambassador in Bucharest, desires to portray how globalization influences art. The process of internationalization and its influence on the Norwegian art scene opening it up to a wider cultural and visual capability is put to the fore. The works of art are all portraying a new found Norwegianness in this new globalized world because art is “…an unlimited power of examining scenes of society on its own premises” as said by Norwegian curator Inger Marie Lillesand.
The Ambassador emphasized how all the four displayed artists are linked to Norway in their own unique way and the way in which they interpret Norwegianness in this new globalized society.
The word “Norwegianness” is not a word which one will find in any dictionary, but as stressed by the Norwegian ambassador “…if you take a look at the works of art exhibited here it will make sense”, and hopefully it did so to the onlookers.
Merete Rostad was born in Norway and lives in Berlin. work with relational strategies, that is public involvement in projects and giving in this way, a certain importance to an affordable level.
Cristina David was born and lives in Romania, but has studied in Norway. Its projects are often the subject area of the confluence of East and West, glorifying Western values and opportunities, seen as part of the vortex of dreams.
Kumalo Nomzi was born and studied in South Africa right now is in the process of establishment in Norway. In his works we find expressive colors, but in a language that can be defined as Western. African ingredient is the artist herself, she is the leitmotif of their works alone.
Nirmal Dhunsi was born in India and lives in Norway for many years. In his works may appear both Krishna, as well as Mickey Mouse, so a preserved sardines, as well as sacred animals from India. Symbols belonging to two worlds are with the naturalness. Artist himself says that he feels himself between Norway, and India.
The author Knut Hamsun (1859-1952) is both loved and disputed. The way in which he lived his life illuminates an interesting and intriguing personal story and makes him an excellent read which is well worth while. On the 27th and the 28th of October 2009 Hamsun is put to the centre of everyone’s attention at the Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj in the celebration of his 150-year anniversary.
Born in the beautiful inland area of Vågå in Gudbransdalen, Knut Hamsun was to spend most of his upbringing in the northern part of Norway on the picturesque shores of Hamarøy in Nordland. Being from a poor family, the beauty of nature was one of few riches which Hamsun could effortlessly enjoy.
In his early career Hamsun travelled extensively in Norway working with a multitude of crafts and trades. He also spent several years in the United States where he worked in occupations like farm worker and conductor before finally returning to Norway.
Hunger (Sult) which was published in 1890 was Hamsun’s breakthrough as a writer and propelled him onto the literary stage as a respected novelist. Hunger depicts a young author who, as a result of hunger and poverty, lives on the edge of madness in the Norwegian capital, then known as Christiania.
Hamsun’s most celebrated work is Growth of the Soil (Markens Grøde) from 1917 which resulted in him winning the Nobel Prize in literature. It is this novel which made him the literary world heavyweight that he is. In this epic story the reader becomes acquainted with a man settling in the wild, the steady progress of his homestead and the way in which his life is guided and controlled by man’s basic needs. The novel is truly a tribute to nature.
The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Bucharest and the Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj are organising a joint cultural event in Cluj on the 27 and the 28th October to celebrate Knut Hamsun and his works. The University, as the largest place of study in Romania where students have the possibility to study Norwegian on a bachelor’s level, feels as a natural place to celebrate Hamsun here in Romania. That is why it is a great pleasure to host this event in Cluj.
There will be a poster exhibition, a mini-film festival on Hamsun’s novels, and interesting lectures conducted by specialists on Knut Hamsun. Among the Norwegian and Romanian lectures one will find:
* Nils Magne Knutsen, associate professor at the University in Tromsø and expert on Hamsun’s authorship. * Jan Erik Holst from the Norwegian Film Institute will approach Hamsun’s writings portrayed on the movie screen. * Sanda Tomescu Baciu, professor at the University in Cluj will speak about Hamsun in Romanian translations.
Norwegians in Romania, in the business group NORTEAM and anyone having interest are welcome to participate.
The Photography exhibition start the 17th of May, and lasts until the 6th of June, at Cacti Art Café, largest selection of coffee and tea in Bergen http://twitter.com/CactiArtCaf
" The Photography exhibition start the 17th of May, and lasts until the 6th of June, at Cacti Art Café in Bergen.
The address & a link to Cacti Art Café is:
Øvregaten 12 5003 Bergen.
http://twitter.com/CactiArtCafe
The reason why I chose to name the exhibition "Rebirth In Roots" is because I want the exhibition to have a certain concept, and theme. Not just a place were we stick random photos on the wall.
"Rebirth In Roots", is suppose to take you on a journey through photographs, from before the christianity came to the north of europe. Thats also one of the reason why I invited Kristina Tandrup Pedersen to do this exhibition with me, as I think her photography fit the theme like a foot in the moss!
Kristina Tandrup Pedersen will show you the landscapes and the spirit they should have, the beauty of a natural human face, and the enchantment of the animals from when they were free.
My part of the journey is to take you further on, from when the priest drew a cross over your third eye (in your forehead when you were baptized as a baby), and to brake free from the spell of christianity, and become the creatures and natural forces of the ancient world.
Or maybe I will lead you into the secret realms of the nordic runes. Time will tell.
We were all born into a christian world, but we have chosen to walk older roads, and follow deeper roots. That is the source of this photographical journey that we invite you to.
We are also currently working on getting a band to play at the opening day, but it has to be a band, that will bring a certain atmosphere to our photographs, and be entwined in the norse roots. We have a few bands in mind, but nothing is decided yet. Keep yourself updated about the band, and the opening times of our exhibition, through this website.
The name Ringsaker often been explained as”the field of the god Hringir” supposed to be another name for the god Ull. Eivind Vågslid, who has "killed" many such myths about gods' names on farms, thinks that the name probably comes from the ring-shaped inlet in Mjøsa.
Ringsaker has substantial growing of grain and potatoes, fruit and berries and livestock production. A considerable part of the woods are common land. Food industry and wood work make up the largest places of employment. The employment in the industry sector is about 28 % of total employment in the municipality. For the country as a whole the percentage is 13. Most of the industry is located in the villages Brumunddal and Moelv.
In Ringsaker there are many relics from the cultural growth throughout thousands of years.We have burial mounds from the bronze age on headlands and from the iron age, in large areas and as solitary large mounds. There are fortifications from the turbulent age of migration on hills in the landscape. Ringsaker church, erected in stone in 1170, has a famous triptych from the late middle ages.
There are also many estates of interest as to cultural history. Former summer mountain farm areas are now large cabin areas - among others Sjusjøen and the upper part of the valley Åstadalen.
The museum Prøysenhuset opened in 1997. It is located at Rudshøgda, at a walking distance from the cottage Prøysenstua; Alf Prøysens childhood home.
Coat-of-arms
Ringsaker's coat-of-arms is designed by the painter Arne Løvstad.
The motif is taken from rock carvings of moose on a rock near the farm Stein in Ringsaker. It shows that there has been moose-hunting in the area since prehistoric times. However, the moose could not be represented in the coat-of-arms in the way it is shown in the rock carvings. Therefore, it has been given a dateless style.
The colours are chosen for esthetical reasons, with the cool silver against the warm red.
Mjøskastellet
The ruins of the citadel Mjøskastellet lies on the islet Stein. It was built 1233-1236 because of a property dispute between king Håkon Håkonsson (1204-1263) and the bishop of Hamar, Pål (d. 1253). The core of the matter was among other things the island Helgøya and some other territories around the lake Mjøsa. The end of the dispute was that the king kept Helgøya, and the bishop other territories in compensation.
Mjøskastellet has been the largest of the sort with a base of 360 m2, and the building can have been over 10 metres high. The cellar had prison cells where murderers from the area were placed if they escaped death penalty. Over the cellar, there was a banquet hall for the king, where he and his men and other prominent persons could gather for food and beverages. We know that this hall was used in 1261, when king Haakon met Arch Bishop Einar. In 1289, when Eirik Magnusson "priest hater" and the Icelandic bishop Arne went on a pilgrimage to Nidaros, the regional official Jon Brynjulvsson gave a banquet for them here. After 1300 Mjøskastellet decayed and collapsed completely. Nobody knows, however, exactly when.
From road 213 a little south of Moelv a road marked "Moelv vannskiklubb" turns off. Follow this road and turn off to the left where it divides after the gate. Proceed around the inlet and out to the point in the direction of the Stein islet. When the water is low, it is possible to walk out to the islet, otherwise you must use a boat.
Mo farm
Mo farm was chosen to be the Thousand Years place of Ringsaker. The farm has given name to the village Moelv.
The farm belonged to the episcopal residence of Hamar in the middle agens, with the first known resident from 1514. It is situated centrally in the area. From the 1700s and until about 1880 it was a transport station. In 1822 Mo got the privilege of ferry traffic over the lake Mjøsa, and from 1840 it was guest house. From 1837, the local council held their meetings here. Parts of the main building can be dated back to about 1700. The way the building appears today, it has been since about 1860. Most of the village Moelv is built on the Mo land. The history, buildings and farmyard trees form a grand cultural monument.
The Twelve Stones Ring
About 2 km north of Moelv you find Ringsaker's Stonehenge, The Twelve Stones Ring. The circle of 12 stones with a diameter of 25 m is one of the most famous historic monuments of the region. The stones are of almost the same shape and size, so they are evidently selected with the utmost care. It dates back to the early Iron Age (2000-2500 years ago), and you can only guess what a resource-demanding work it was to erect such a monument with the limitations of the age. This could indicate that the living conditions in the community were good, as they could spare people to work that was not exactly useful.
During the restorations in 1895 there were found three smaller stone circles near by. Som years later the archaeologist Gustav Mørch found carbonized rests of bones in the main ring. This could indicate that is has been a burial site.
Throughout the years, it may also have been a place where people met to honour their ancestors. Whether it has been used as a place for worship and local councils is more uncertain.
North of Moelv, by road 213, a narrow lane turns off opposite a service station. About 50 m from the road you see the Twelve Stones Ring.
The rock carvings near Stein
West of Ringsaker church, near the islet Stein, there is a large boulder with rock carvings. it is possible to identify as many as 16 figures, but there must have been more of them. They were made in the early Stone Age, about 4-5000 years ago and depict animals, mostly moose.
It was probably to get in touch with the "spirit" of the animal, and in that way to secure the result of the hunt, that the Stone Age people made these carvings. The rite was most likely carried out by shamans, and similar carvings have been found all over the northern Scandinavia. We know that similar religious performances have been carried out as far east as in Siberia. There, too, the moose was an important animal.
The carving itself is simple, but notice that both heart and skeleton are sketched. This is because the Stone Age people believed that the hidden power of the animal was located in the heart and the skeleton. During the rites before and after the hunt, certain requirements had to be met. The bones of the killed animal should not be broken; they must be buried together after the meal, so that a new animal could rise from the dead remains. In the area around the carvings, burial mounds from the Bronze Age have been found.
Photo: Dag A. Gustavsen
From road 213 a little south of Moelv a road marked "Moelv vannskiklubb" turns off. Follow this road by foot and turn off to the left where it divides after the gate. Proceed around the inlet and out to the point in the direction of the Stein islet.
The boulder is easily spotted near the shore, being fenced in and covered with a protecting roof.
The Ludden hut
Ludvig "Ludden" Olestadengen (1887-1955) was the name of the man who lived in this miserable shelter most of his life. The hut was originally an old hunting and fishing cottage belonging to Ludvig's father. Ludvig started using it as it stood, and he never did anything to isolate the draughty walls. They say that you could feel the wind almost as well inside the hut as outside.
Ludvig himself chose a life in the hills, for better and for worse. When he died in 1955, it was his wish that the hut should remain the way it was when he died. His wish was fulfilled, the interior is exactly as it was when he was alive. For Ludvig freedom meant most, and he lived in agreement with the laws of nature. Every bush and stone was important, the hills were his larder. Many thought of him as a stupid countryside nitwit. He was certainly eccentric, but far from stupid! He read a lot, gladly books by the great Norwegian authors Falkberget, Fønhus and Bjørnson, and he liked to keep himself informed of what was going on in the community. Though poor, he was still the richest person many have met.
Photo: Dag A. Gustavsen
Follow signs from Moelv to Sjusjøen. The Ludden hut lies to the right, at some distance from the road, at Kuåsen after Kroksjøen. Follow the path marked with red T's.
The Prøysen cottage
The smallholding Prøysen, the childhood home of Alf Prøysen, is from the 1860'ies. It has been restored during the last years, and the cowshed and the barn are rebuilt as they were when Alf Prøysen was born, July 23rd 1914.
Like his parents and grandparents, Alf Prøysen was born to be a smallholder, but it did not turn out that way. The smallholder's son Alf became a well-known poet and artist in post-war Norway. Through innumerable performances in radio, recordings, theatrical performances and books, he became very popular. Like nobody else he depicted everyday life, he gave voice to working people and children. Beneath the warmth and the humour there was often criticism of society and a sharp eye for injustice. The milieu of the smallholders was a distinct feature in all of his life and work.
The heritage after Alf Prøysen has become public property. New generations meet him in books and in childrens' programmes on radio. Others can relive and find new things over and over again. The understanding of how many-sided he was is increasing.
The Prøysen cottage is situated at Rudshøgda, half way between Brumunddal and Moelv. Follow the signs marked "Prøysen" from E6. It is open from middle of May to September.
Out on "Sjuguttmyra", a marsh between Storstilen and Steinstilen, there is a large boulder, called "Sjuguttsteinen" - The Seven Boys Stone. According to an old legend, it is the site of an argument over pasture rights between seven shepherd boys. To reach an agreement, they decided to fight a duel. As weapons they chose juniper twigs which they cut an placed in the sunshine to dry until they were as hard as bone.
On the day of the duel, they met on the marsh. One of the boys was chosen leader of the fight. His name was Zacharias, and he was the oldest of the boys. The fought three against three, and soon the situation got out of hand. All except one were killed, and he accused Zacharias of being a bad commander. Soon they too were fighting for their lives. Zacharias was the weakest and was killed. The legend says that the surviving shepherd boy came crawling out to Steinstilen with his guts wrapped in his shirt tails. He eventually died there from his injuries.
Photo: Rune Anderson
Follow the signs to Sjusjøen and continue past Kuåsen and Elgåsen to the crossroads at Storstilen. Turn right towards Ljøsheim. On the left before Steinstilen the stone is easily spotted close to the road.
In the early 1600s many Finns moved to the area around the Swedish-Norwegian border. They settled in the forests and lived off slash-and-burn agriculture. Tracts of the forest were cut down and then burned, and rye was sown in the ashes. The fields could only be cultivated for a few years, so new areas were continually being cut and burned. This way of farming eventually came into conflict with the Norwegian farmers' use of the forest and outlying wilderness. During the 1700s the Finns gradually gave up slash-and-burn farming practices, but they held on to their special customs and architectural traditions. In addition to the border area, Finns also settled in other forested areas as far west as Buskerud.
Finnskogen 1957. Photo: Gunnar Vold
Finnish Immigrant House, Ampiansbråten, Kolbjørnsrud, Vinger, ca. 1800
The house is similar to Norwegian three room houses, but the antechamber here is narrower. A large smoke stove of cemented stone dominates the living room. This type of stove differs from the west Norwegian røykovn; it is much bigger and only needed to be lighted once a day. A hollowed tree trunk acts as a flue, leading the smoke through the ceiling and out the smoke vent in the roof. One side of the stove is covered with panel and against this wall stood the bed. The kitchen also had a fireplace. The use of the log flue is one of many indications that the builders of the house came from eastern Finland, from Savolaks, and had a Karelian background.
The House at Ampiansbråten at original location. 1926.
Two Finnish brothers, Mattis and Johan, came to Vinger with their families in 1681, and leased part of Kolbjørnsrud farm. In 1700 the farm changed hands and each brother was able to have his own holding instead; Mattis leased Hammer and Johan leased Ampianstorpet. Five generations of Johan's descendants lived at Ampianstorpet. The last was Guttorm Johannessen who died in 1900.
In 2009, it is 150 years since the birth of the Norwegian Nobel winning author Knut Hamsun. The anniversary was launched with a street theatre performance that offered hundreds of passers-by a taste of Hamsun’s Oslo novel Hunger.
It was in those days when I went about hungry in Kristiania, that strange city that no one leaves before it has set its mark on him. (Translation by Sverre Lyngstad)
These are the opening words of Knut Hamsun’s (1859–1952) breakthrough novel Hunger – a story told by a nameless main character struggling to make a living as a writer in Oslo (previously called Kristiania) at the end of the 19th century. It is Hamsun’s literary achievement that is being celebrated in 2009, and the novel Hunger provided the framework for the opening event in the streets of Oslo on 19 February.
Hunger and soup Hundreds of curious passers-by followed in the footsteps of the novel’s main character through the snowy streets of Oslo. They witnessed his quarrel with publishers, his attempts to win the favour of the mystical Ylajali, and his encounters with the police, some of which were similar to Hamsun’s own experiences. And in order to keep the hunger of the novel’s protagonist at bay, a warming soup was served along the way.
Hamsun on five continents Hamsun Year will be celebrated all over the world with lectures, dramatisations and new translations. In Georgia and Azerbaijan, there will be a commemoration this autumn of the famous journey that Hamsun took through Russia to the Caucasus 110 years ago.
“We hope that Hamsun Year will help people realise just what a marvellous writer Hamsun was, and that they will be inspired to read his work, also in the light of the present public debate,” said Vigdis Moe Skarstein, national librarian and arranger, to the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation during the opening.
Controversial politics Knut Hamsun is regarded as one of Norway’s most important writers, and he won a place in world history when he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for Growth of the Soil in 1920. His politics, on the other hand, were controversial. He sympathised with the Nazis, and was charged with treason after the war. He was later sentenced to pay a large sum in civil compensation.
His last book, On Overgrown Paths, is his apologia.
First National Premiere of Henrik Ibsen’s “When We, Dead, Awaken”
“Lucian Blaga” National Theater in Cluj, in cooperation with ART ACT Theater Company, under the high patronage of The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Bucharest, presents, Tuesday, the 10th of March 2009, the following events dedicated to the great Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen:
·13.00 at ClujNationalArt Museum
The release of “When We, Dead, Awaken” play book in Romanian, the last play written by Henrik Ibsen; translation by Sanda Tomescu Baciu; published by the Apostrof Publishing House in Cluj.
Speakers: Prof. Dr. Ion Vartic, General Director of the National Theatre in Cluj; His Excellency, Mr. Øystein Hovdkinn, Ambassador of Norway to Romania; conf. dr. Sanda Tomescu Baciu; Mrs. Catalina Buzoianu, Director
Opening of the “Timp si Rastimp” decorative art exhibition by Mariana Gheorghiu, artist.
Speaker: Calin Stegerean, exhibition curator
Mariana Gheorghiu is a renown name in Cluj’ traditional plastic arts. She has already had 5 personal exhibitions and 12 collective exhibitions. The artist’s works of art were the subject of 5 TV documentaries by the Romanian National TV. In 2007 she was awarded the National Award of the Romanian Plastic Artists Union.
“Lucian Blaga” National Theatre in Cluj
The national premiere of “When We, Dead, Awaken” play by Henrik Ibsen, translation by Sanda Tomescu Baciu, directed by Catalina Buzoianu, settings by: Adriana Grand. The play will be broadcasted live by TVR Cultural. H.E. Mr. Øystein Hovdkinn, Ambassador of Norway in Romania, will attend the première.
Cast: Professor Arnold Rubek, Sculptor – Cornel Raileanu
Catalina Buzoianu is one of Romania’s greatest theater directors, with over 100 plays directed to date, in Romania and abroad. She has won numerous awards, such as: The Katowice Festival Award – Poland, 1972; Romanian Academy Award, 1973; Contemporary Theatre Award, Brasov, 1978; ATM Awards 1979, 1980, 1985, 1986; UNITER Awards in 1991 and 1995; National Theatre Festival Grand Award, 1994, 1996, 1997; International Romanian Drama Festival Grand Award for ”Procust’s Bed”, Timisoara, 1995; Best Achievement in Directing Award for the play “Procust’s Bed”, Timisoara, 1995; “I.L. Caragiale” Festival Original Drama Award, 1996; UNITER Award for Entire Activity, 2001.
The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Bucharest has supported the national premiere of Henrik Ibsen’s “When We dead awaken” national premiere and the publishing of the Romanian translation of the play within its cultural programs for 2009.
For additional information:
Roxana Croitoru, Artistic consultant: Cluj National Theater, tel. 0264592826
Marius Palade Agarbiceanu, ART ACT Theater Company, tel. 742 029197
Ringsaker's coat-of-arms is designed by the painter Arne Løvstad.
