400 Years of Dala Horse, 2017
Gothenburg and PokharaFor the Dala horse’s 400th anniversary, children painted 400 wooden horses at Göteborgs Kulturkalas, and 100 of them travelled on to two schools in Pokhara, Nepal.
- Dala horses painted by children
- 400
- hectic day of painting
- 1
- horses sent to Pokhara, Nepal
- 100
- schools in Pokhara
- 2
400 horses, 100 for Pokhara
100 of the 400 went on to two schools in Pokhara, Nepal.
The Dala horse started as a toy
In the old days the Dala horse was mostly a children’s toy, and over the years it became a symbol of Dalarna and of Sweden. When it turned 400 in 2017, One Life Dreams gave 400 wooden horses to children to paint.
Painting day at Göteborgs Kulturkalas
The festival ran from 16 to 20 August 2017. Children painted all 400 horses in one hectic day.
The painting day on film
Families at long tables, open paint pots and 400 horses drying in rows, filmed at Göteborgs Kulturkalas in August 2017.
100 Dala horses travelled to Nepal
With the help of the charity One Life Matters, 100 of the painted horses travelled from Gothenburg to Pokhara. The Keller family, who call themselves brokers of need, drove the team to two schools, where the horses were handed out. The team filmed the children’s reactions.
Read the post from Pokhara
A second dress, printed with horses
Aviad Arik Herman designed Miss Sweden 2017 Frida Fornander’s official dress for Miss Universe. It was printed with 400 Dala horses, the same number the children had painted.
See the dressQuestions about the horses
Where were the 400 Dala horses painted?
At Göteborgs Kulturkalas, the Gothenburg Culture Festival, which ran from 16 to 20 August 2017. Children painted all 400 horses in one hectic day.
How did Dala horses end up in Nepal?
100 of the horses painted in Gothenburg travelled to Pokhara, Nepal, with the help of the charity One Life Matters. The Keller family drove the team to two schools, where the horses were handed out and the children’s reactions were filmed.
Who helped get the horses to the schools in Pokhara?
The charity One Life Matters connected the team with the Keller family in Pokhara. The Kellers, who call themselves brokers of need, drove the team to the two schools.
Was there a dress for the Dala horse too?
Yes. Aviad Arik Herman designed Miss Sweden 2017 Frida Fornander’s official dress for Miss Universe, printed with 400 Dala horses, the same number the children painted.
Why the Dala horse?
It turned 400 in 2017. In the old days the Dala horse was mostly a children’s toy, and over the years it became a symbol of Dalarna and of Sweden.
Is One Life Dreams still running?
No. It ran two projects, the Dress of Dreams in 2016 and 400 Years of Dala Horse in 2017, and has ended. This website is its archive of photographs, films and journal posts.
