Museums

Today, started like every other. Chose not to set an alarm and woke up when I woke up. This approach to my trip has made my solo time actually really enjoyable.  In addition, I have tons of reading to do so I am trying to find time for that. And I'm coming back to the hotel every evening and not feeling the need to go out. I don't want to.  I don't like it. So instead I'm enjoying myself all day; not rushing, getting reading done and not going out if I don't want to(and not feeling bad about it).

I left my hotel after breakfast headed to some museums. My goal was to go to the Swedish history museum and a viking museum. I swear I was walking in the right direction. But before I knew it, I was walking in a different direction, towards the old town again.

It wound up being good because I finally got to shop, in a way I haven't really gotten a chance to.

I remembered the route that my friend took me on a few days ago and I was able to navigate my way through walking and ferry and reverse the route I planned on taking!!

I made it to the vikingsaliv museum, although it's not really a museum in the traditional sense. There really aren't any artifact, it's a viking experience. It also intends to reframe the image of a plundering, fun viking.  It starts with a timeline,  and has interactive videos and activities, many geared towards children. The main attraction is actually, an attraction. It's a ride that takes you through what a family would have to go through to get what they needed, especially if the farm couldn't supply anymore.

Then I had a hotdog, to give me more time for the next museum, which wound up being INCREDIBLE.

It started with 2 prehistory halls. The first followed several particular people from different eras or regions. We started by watching a brief video introducing them all and then each room focused on a different room, including artifacts found in grave sites from that particular person or other people of that region or era. It took us from 7000bce to 700ce. 

One thing that kinda annoyed me, was that as an English speaker, I had to grab a placard from a folder instead of be able to read it on the wall. So I chose not to read it and just look at the objects. And the fee times I had questions, I grabbed for the placard. And then I realized I'm an was for 2 reasons. 1-I'm in sweden and I'm damn lucky that I haven't had to learn a single word in Swedish to be able to enjoy this country, so I need to slow my role. 2-I'm currently reading a book about closing the achievement gap in the US for my grad class. And in it, it focused on engagement and the opportunity gaps. And I realized that sometimes we make our lessons or classrooms that way, where only certain people can access all the info and everyone else is left to simply ride along figuring out only some of the info. They are also actively aware that they aren't in the majority and have to work extra hard, first to overcome that thought and then to access the info(bringing the placards around and trying to identify what they are referring to).  They are working twice as hard to still not gain all the information. I expereienced this for one of the first times ever in my life.

The second hall in the prehistoric room chose to look at similar objects from grave mounds and grouping them in questions. So museum attendants were able to reflect on what the objects on their grave mounds(or objects they surround themselves with) would say about them, their status, their everyday activities etc.  Seeing these ancient people in a personal context allowed people to see themselves as actors in history.

It also constantly, and I didn't just notice it in this museum, questioned itself and it's interpretations. Something refreshing, as most museums are both dry in their language and speak with an absolution that is not backed up by enough evidence.

In one room, it even went so far as to separate objects found in several grave mounds by female and male objects and then question whether the evidence is showing us that they are in fact separated by gender lines or are we looking for it based on our current social hierarchy.

Other rooms included a viking room, and walk through 1000 years of Swedish history, and a few medieval rooms.

The final room had random objects and the intention was to mix it up and have the exhibit question and reflect how it, as a museum is active in creating history.

It was incredible. It made me really reflect on a museum and any story teller and how it creates and shapes our and other narrative. It even was critical of its own story telling around both gender and whiteness.

I've never seen a museum like this. Why aren't there more??