Å syne fram eit språk

Abstract

The Ivar Aasen Centre for Norwegian language and culture in Western Norway is situatcd at the
homestead of the famous linguist Ivar Aasen (I 813-1896). This institution introduces the visitors to both
pasi and present, without making any memorial. The architecture of the Pritzker Price winner Sverre
Fehn meets with the structures of language in an exhibition where some elemcnts are changed every
single day. A wall of glass with the inscription «There are thousands oflanguages» in 30 languages from
all parts of the world is a key place in the building, which is a full-scale effort of exhibiting a ianguage.
The situation for Norwegian Nynorsk, a lesser used language in Norway, but a larger one in a global
sense, is presented in an open and democratic manner, with the intention to make visitors wonder about
language in general and their own language as well.