The exhibition The rebel village of Manndalen is based on a digital narrative about «rebellion» in Manndalen, created by Lisa Vangen in connection with the Cultural Heritage Year 2009. Manndalen in North Troms is a village where many forms of resistance to authority in different time periods and contexts intertwine to form a story of rebellion.
The exhibition will focus on some features of our history in the 20th century, where rebellion is central: from the early 1900s, the læstadian movement, the surveyor's case and Sjåbakken's letter, to contemporary movements and resistance such as the Riddu Riđđu festival and the Black Forest case.
The background to the digital story of «rebellion» in Manndalen was to create a digital cultural heritage trail on the theme of «rebellion». According to researchers, frequent confrontations with the authorities, where people have defended their interests, have over time led to the will to rebel becoming part of their behaviour. Researcher Bjørn Bjerkli has conducted studies in Manndalen. He believes that the people of Manndalen have had so many confrontations with the authorities from the 1880s to the present day that this has influenced their behaviour. «The experience of dealing with the authorities has given the people of Manndalen collective historical memories that influence the way they think and act in similar situations today. They have developed a »confrontational ethos" that is generated from memories and stories.[1
In the exhibition The rebel village of Manndalen we will show the digital story of «rebellion» in Manndalen. In addition, photographs and texts from the story will be exhibited.
We will also show examples of how this has been taken up in today's art and cultural expressions, through literature, film and other visual expressions.
The exhibition provides a picture of rebellion and resistance in Manndalen, but the same history and stories of rebellion and resistance in various forms can be found throughout the region. One of the aims of this exhibition is to bring out more stories about our regional history and how it has shaped people, culture and society, and how this is with us today. A history that is little documented and therefore we hope to bring out as many voices as possible in this documentation work.
Stories in the exhibition The rebel village of Manndalen be seen in the context of the permanent exhibition mii at the Centre for Northern Peoples / Davvi albmogiid guovddáš, where themes addressed in the exhibition are emphasised.