Alvdal is a small farming village, but it produced one of Norway's most beloved artists. Kjell Aukrust, born here in 1920, was discovered at age 16 by painter Henrik Sørensen and sent to art school in Oslo. He went on to create the fictional village of Flåklypa and its characters: the inventor Reodor Felgen, the optimistic magpie Solan Gundersen, and the melancholic hedgehog Ludvig. Many of the names and places come directly from Alvdal. One detail that makes the story even better: Aukrust was colour blind. His wife Kari helped him pick the right colours for his paintings throughout their life together.
In 1975, animator Ivo Caprino turned the Flåklypa characters into the stop-motion film Flåklypa Grand Prix. It sold over 5 million tickets in a country of 4 million people, making it the most-watched Norwegian film ever. It played in cinemas continuously for 28 years and has been translated into more than 70 languages. In the Soviet Union alone it sold 28 million tickets. It is still broadcast on Norwegian television every Christmas.
The Aukrustsenteret, now called Huset Aukrust, opened in 1996 after Kari and Kjell donated 250 works to his hometown. The building was designed by Sverre Fehn, one of Norway's most celebrated architects. Outside, Flåklypa Peak features Reodor Felgen's workshop and a moon rocket where kids can do astronaut training. Just outside the village, Husantunet is a protected farmstead with 18 buildings from 1650 to 1850, showing what life in Østerdalen looked like for centuries.
In 1975, animator Ivo Caprino turned the Flåklypa characters into the stop-motion film Flåklypa Grand Prix. It sold over 5 million tickets in a country of 4 million people, making it the most-watched Norwegian film ever. It played in cinemas continuously for 28 years and has been translated into more than 70 languages. In the Soviet Union alone it sold 28 million tickets. It is still broadcast on Norwegian television every Christmas.
The Aukrustsenteret, now called Huset Aukrust, opened in 1996 after Kari and Kjell donated 250 works to his hometown. The building was designed by Sverre Fehn, one of Norway's most celebrated architects. Outside, Flåklypa Peak features Reodor Felgen's workshop and a moon rocket where kids can do astronaut training. Just outside the village, Husantunet is a protected farmstead with 18 buildings from 1650 to 1850, showing what life in Østerdalen looked like for centuries.