Our Time in the Past

For five school days, we worked with a class of language learners from the Adult Education Center. In the exhibition, you will encounter the students’ own stories seen through an object of significance to them, and what happened when their personal stories were connected to Kvitnesgården. Alongside conversation and reflection, we have worked with composition and photography as forms of expression. 

A House with many Layers

The buildings in the open-air museum in Folkeparken were originally moved there to tell the story of North Norwegian coastal culture. The largest house is called Kvitnesgården. The building from 1826 was the main house of the trading post Kvitnes on Vannøya in North Troms and has stories dating back to the 1680s. 

Stories wowen together

The students’ encounter with the house resulted in thoughts and new perspectives on both the present and the past, expressed through images and words. In Our Time in the Past, the many stories of the place are woven together with the students’ personal stories and reflections, and Kvitnesgården has acquired even more layers of stories. 

About the exhibition & the project

Producers: Camilla Erenius, Perspektivet Museum and Pål H. Ekern, Preus Museum. 

The students’ encounter with the house resulted in thoughts and new perspectives on both the present and the past, expressed through images and words. In Our Time in the Past, the many stories of the place are woven together with the students’ personal stories and reflections, and Kvitnesgården has acquired even more layers of stories. 

The project is a collaboration with Preus Museum. Perspectives in Open Air is supported by Arts and Culture Norway and part of the Diversity Network’s The many Voices of the Collections

We extend our heartfelt thanks to colleagues at Preus Museum, and the students and teacher from Adult Education who participated in this project.