We and our traditional costumes

CITY NEWS

Photo: Lisbeth Iversen

‘WE AND OUR TRADITIONAL COSTUMES’

Through the Covid19 pandemic several actors in Arendal have been working on a project that was ment to be a social event during our International Market in June. People were invited to show their traditional costumes, from different countries. The market event was cancelled, and people had to stay at home.

We decided to be innovative and change our plans, to make this both a social and digital event, even if we had a close-down situation. If people could not come to us, in a public place, we could come to them, and still make this a co-created event.

We contacted people and asked them if we could come and talk to them and take pictures of them in their traditional costumes, in their gardens or in a public place in Arendal, one person at a time.

The project developed into a beautiful collaboration, and we decided to share both pictures and stories through an exhibition “We and our costumes”. We wanted to gather threads from the past, and let memories, longing, knowledge and experience be woven together into a small piece of the picture of today’s Arendal. We invited newly arrived refugees and immigrants to show their costumes, together with people in bunad (Norwegian national costumes), people who come from Arendal, or who at some point have moved to Arendal. We showed pictures of over twenty different costumes. Common to them all is that they just belong to people who live their lives in Arendal. Today, Arendal is an international city with many different nations represented, where people themselves contribute to bringing their stories, traditions and crafts to their new home.

On October 20 we arranged the opening of the exhibition in our Museum Kuben. We also provided for a streaming of the opening session, making it possible for many people to take part digitally.

It has been a great pleasure to feel the power of the traditional costume, of the positive associations to family events, family ties, origins and traditions. Our wish is that this photo exhibition can open more doors for meetings between people, and that the exhibition can be a contribution to creating meeting places across nations, generations and traditions in Arendal.

Now we dream of a major International costume exhibition in 2023 – to celebrate the city of Arendal in connection with the big 300 years anniversary of the city.

People are really proud to be part of this beautiful exhibition, representing individual stories and identities in the context of a common city where all should be accepted and respected.