Høyviksalen

At Kviknes Hotel, you must visit the Høyvik Hall, where all chairs, tables, portals and mirror frames have been carved in the dragon style by the artist Ivar Høyvik.

Four generations have been collecting the original artworks that now grace the walls of Kviknes Hotel. At the heart of the hotel's large collection are the artists for whom Balestrand was a source of inspiration. Artists such as Hans F. Gude, Johannes Flintoe and Hans Dahl were regular guests at the hotel or built themselves houses in the village. A catalogue with information about the artworks and the artists is available to hotel guests.

At the heart of the hotel's large collection are the artists for whom Balestrand was a source of inspiration. Artists such as Hans F. Gude, Johannes Flintoe and Hans Dahl were regular guests at the hotel or built themselves houses in the village. We want our guests to be able to enjoy our art collection. A catalogue with information about the artworks and the artists is therefore available to guests.

In many ways, Balestrand was created by the artists who came here around the turn of the century and became inspired by the place and the people. Some set themselves up in Swiss style houses, and the buildings and many of the pictures from that time are an important part of Balestrand's identity today.

The art lives on. Some of the artists are full-time, some less so, while still others pass through to be inspired, just like their predecessors. If you would like to see some of the art, the art society has several exhibitions during the year, the hotel has quite a collection, Sognefjord Aquarium houses the gallery Munken with its unusual images in wood and on the quay there is Det Gyldne Huset.

Solveig Haukås exhibits and sells images in enamels, while Magni Jensen and Geir Hjetland have exhibitions and sales of ceramics, sculpture and installations.

The Høyvik Room is a central part of the hotel, and is itself representative of the life's work of the craftsman Ivar Høyvik. The whole room was furnished by Høyvik.

Ivar Høyvik (1881-1961) grew up in Gulen in Outer Sogn. He was a pupil of Magnus Dagestad at Voss. To begin with Høyvik did decorative work for artists who lived in Balestrand, such as Prof. Hans Dahl and Adelsten Normann. In 1905 he came to live in Balestrand with his wife Eli, who was a weaver.

The Høyvik Room represents the life's work of a unique craftsman. The whole room was furnished by Ivar Høyvik. Tables, chairs, doorways, mirror frames – everything has been made with the same love of  woodcarving in the dragon style that characterised Høyvik's work throughout his life.

The tapestry "Brurefylgjet" in the Høyvik Room was made by Astrid Høyvik, Eli and Ivar's daughter. For Ivar Høyvik the designs in his work always had a meaning, they were to symbolise something. Many of his motifs came from Norse mythology.

The doorway into the lounge is one of Ivar Høyvik's last works.

Høyvik also made many of the carvings on villas and holiday homes that are such a characteristic of Balestrand.

Høyvik remained active as a woodcarver right up until his death in 1961 at the age of 80.