Velferden – Art arena in a historic mining landscape

Velferden Sokndal's Scene for Contemporary Art is an arena for interdisciplinary research into man's relationship with nature, based on the mining history in Sokndal. Velferden houses artists and professionals from all over the world on work stays for shorter and longer periods, and arranges exhibitions, concerts, courses and seminars for the public.

The welfare is located in the mining company Titania's old mine at Sandbekk, where in 1916 they invented how to convert the black iron ore Ilmenite into the white pigment Titanium Dioxide. The discovery has helped to color the modern world white, and the cultural environment at Sandbekk bears witness to an important period in international mining history.

Welfare disposes of welfare buildings, office buildings and carpentry workshops. In addition, the building environment at Sandbekk consists of a Mechanical Workshop, Compressor House, Locomotive Stall, Laboratory and various warehouse buildings. The plant is surrounded by a unique post-industrial landscape from over 100 years of mining.

Hiking

There are several opportunities for exciting trips in the landscape around Sandbekk. The sand dump is a very special experience and is easily accessible from Velferden. Here you can go exploring in the desert-like formations, in the planted forest on top of the landfill, and follow the tracks of Sandbekk's old cable car. You can also walk further through the landfill, over Knudknuten to the next valley and up the old ore railway to the Blåfjell mines where they mined iron ore at the end of the 19th century.

Geology and Cultural History

The geology and cultural history of the area are closely linked. The operation of the quarry at Sandbekk was motivated by the Storgangen, a 4 km long and up to 50 m wide corridor-shaped noritic ore body in the Åna-Sira anorthosite massif. The mineral in the ore is ilmenite and it is from this that titanium dioxide (TiO2) is extracted. As a pigment, titanium white is used in most of the white products we see in the world today. Storgangen was operated by Titania from 1916 to 1964 and 10 million tonnes of ore with an average of 18-19% TiO2 was mined. This corresponds to 11-13% of the world production of ilmenite in the same period.

Access

Follow Mydlandsveien 4242 off Fylkesvei 44 and turn off at the sign for Sandbekk. There are good opportunities to park in the area and parking is free.

The nearest bus station is Hauge in Dalane, from here you can take a nice 45-minute walk up to Sandbekk along the river.