Valmueslekten is a book and a photo project based on the former institution Toftes gave , on Helgøya in Ringsaker municipality. Toftes gave was a boys' home that was established on the Sund farm in 1875, and was Norway's first publicly run child welfare institution.

Most of the buildings still stand there, and for five months Marit Arnekleiv rented two rooms in the main building to investigate what these rooms have to say, what it is like to be there, and what an art project can add to our reading of the place's history.

Eivind Hofstad Evjemo's texts enter into dialogue with Arnekleiv's images, and evoke different voices of those who lived and were at times connected to Toftes gave .

Text and images create a consistent flow and movement in the book, opening up space for other forms of empathy and presence in this story.

The book Valmueslekten is part of the book series TILT , published by Harpefoss hotell kunstarena.