Paper short abstract:

How do objects of dwellings come to life in the development of the new city museum of Copenhagen? This presentation will focus on the museum collection of both historical and contemporary objects of dwellings and how the museum combines the material and immaterial objects with ethnological research.

Paper long abstract:

I will invite fellow colleagues backstage to the future exhibitions of the new museum of Copenhagen that will be open to the public in the spring 2018. The museum is moving from one historical building in one district of Copenhagen to another historical building from 1893 in the center of the city. Since the 1960ies and until 1993 this building was the municipal office where Copenhageners could apply for a rental apartment. This story will also be part of the new museum. Both the future museum building and the museum collection contain material cultural heritage as well as immaterial cultural heritage of dwellings in the city. Dwellings seen from a variety of perspectives, drawing upon different media of narration (oral, written, digital) and different museum objects will be part of the exhibition about the development of the city, how the city is constructed and imagined in terms of how people think about their rights to housing and living in the city, the planning of new buildings and housing districts, but also preservation of existing neighborhoods.

Working as an ethnologist and curator at the Museum of Copenhagen, I combine ethnological and historical research with museology including a participatory approach with different audiences and collaboration with students, architects, film producers etc.