Møte med minner

Meeting memories

Accessibility, equality, and equity are crucial topics in contemporary museology. However, these ideals are often not fully realized, leaving segments of the community unable to enjoy museum experiences to the fullest.

In 2024, I had the privilege of participating in training sessions as part of the Meeting Memories (Møte med minner) program in Oslo. This initiative, co-organized by the Norwegian Health Administration and local museums, focuses on creating meaningful museum experiences for individuals with dementia, particularly seniors. My involvement stemmed from my work at the Ibsen Museum, where I joined this program to become a certified museum guide for dementia-friendly tours.

Over a transformative four-month training period, I participated in sessions hosted by the Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology (as shown in the images), the Norwegian Folk Museum, and other cultural institutions across Oslo. The program also included insightful lectures from healthcare professionals who work directly with dementia patients. This blend of practical and theoretical knowledge deeply inspired me and sparked a fascination with the intersection of accessibility and cognitive abilities in museum settings.

As I pursue my master’s degree - and potentially a future PhD - in museum studies, I’m eager to explore how we, as professionals, can design and curate truly inclusive experiences. Programs like Meeting Memories offer a glimpse of what is possible, but there is still much to learn.

What strategies and adjustments are needed to ensure museums are accessible for all, including individuals with visible and hidden disabilities? How can we refine these programs to guarantee that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can fully engage with and enjoy art and culture? These are the questions driving my research and professional aspirations.

Royal Norwegian consulate general

Royal Norwegian consulate general

Arctic Highways
Works by twelve indigenous artists from Sápmi,
Canada and Alaska

Scandinavia House, Manhattan
April 2023 - July 2023

More info

In 2023 I got the amazing opportunity to do a six month traineeship at the Norwegian consulate in New York promoting creative industires. I love a challenge and New York City is certainly not a place for the faint of heart. Below you can read more about the projects I got to engage with personally, and all the amazing Norwegian artists we got to highlight.

The Goblets (Soil Edition), 2021
Ane Graff

Exhibited at "and we learn to keep the soil wet"
Center for Art, Research and Alliances (CARA)
March 2023 - June 2023

This is Norwegian State Secretary Nancy Porsanger Anti from the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development who visited New York for the 2023 UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues touring the exhibition with us. Curated by indigenous artists Tomas Colbengtson, Gunvor Guttorm, Dan Jåma and the amazing Britta Marakatt-Labba (who's work you can see in the image above), the project brought together the artwork and handicrafts of 12 indigenous artists from Sápmi, Canada and Alaska, highlighting the thriving cultural and spiritual communities of the Arctic region, as well as adressing concerns about the effects of climate change.

Exhibition info

Artist website

Trude Viken

A very exciting name in norwegian contemporary art! During my traineeship I had the joy of privately consulting Consul General Heidi Olufsen on her purchahe and the instalation of this Trude Viken piece for her private art collection. It was proudly hung in her oficial residence for all visiting guests to enjoy. A true delight knowing that this was the first openly queer representing imagery in the space.

Artist website

Norwegian Design at ICFF

I also got the fun task of representing the consulate in our collaboration with Innovation Norway's project to further export of Norwegian Design and Furniture in the United States. Five Norwegian brands visited New York for a week, and after a week of show room visits, mingeling sessions with local brands and partners the visit culminate din a big Norwegian booth at the 2023 edition of the Internationsl Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) at the Javits Center where we got to display all their pieces together.

Read more (Norwegian)

More coming soon! :)

Elephant Kunsthall at Future Fair

Based in Lillehammer, Norway, Elephant Kunsthall is an artist-driven independent venue for international contemporary art and research. The booth was dedicated to new work from artists Mads Andreas Andreassen and Urd J. Pedersen.

Future Fair bloomed into excistense in 2020, and was able to launch its first edition in NYC in 2021. As we helped represent the Norwegian gallery who particepated for the first time in 2023, I also had the absolute pleasure of running into the inspiring Ami Kim, the CEO / Director of the amazing Gallery Afternoon in Seoul, close neighbours of the World Jewellery Museum I previously interned at. The 2023 edition of Future Fair was hosted at Chelsea Industrial from May 11th - 13th.

ibsen museum & teater

Henrik Ibsen (1829–1906) is arguably one of the most iconic Norwegians in history. Today, he is celebrated globally as the second most performed playwright in the world after Shakespeare. After 27 years of "voluntary exile" abroad, during which he built his fame, the controversial writer returned to Norway and eventually moved into his now-famous home at Arbins gate 1 in Oslo with his wife, Suzanna. They stayed there until their passing.

The apartment has been beautifully restored to its original 1895 glory by the wonderful conservators at the Norwegian Folk Museum. Most of the furniture is original or consists of reupholstered originals, and the apartment can only be accessed with a guide. I have given the tour so many times that if you have any questions about Ibsen and his final years in Oslo, or the apartment and all the treasure inside, I would gladly answer them!

More Information

세계장신구박물관, 서울

world jewellery museum, seoul

AR Filter

As most of the pieces displayed in the museum were made to be worn, but are now encased behind glass. So, I suggested we make them more interactive digitally which resulted in this AR filter of our 20th century Mongolian temple pendants for Instagram which quickly became a big hit.

Social Media
The majority of this museum's engagement came from Instagram, as the exhibition halls were fully closed during the pandemic.
I then got the task of digging through the collection archives and making weekly, engaging, yet educational content for our social media channels.

ANSA SØR-KOREA

aSSOCIATION OF NORWEGIAN STUDENTS ABROAD, SOUTH KOREA