The COVID-19 collection houses a number of objects, all of which contain different narratives about the pandemic. Just as we humans have had similar experiences in the Corona crisis, the objects also call up recurring topics. The collection is therefore divided into five overarching themes, all of which deal with different issues that the pandemic has brought about, their impact, and how we overcome them.
Escapism
With the onset of the corona crisis, when the TVs increasingly started to show bad news in permanent loops, more and more people started looking for a way to escape reality – and found it in an imaginative world of fantasy fiction. How adults have been re-connecting with their childlike playfulness and engaged with puzzle games and fantasy-related board games is documented in this theme.
Documenting the Period
The pandemic showed how vulnerable life can be and quickly things can change in a short amount of time. Especially in unusual times like these, we use different objects to capture everything that happens in this world – the vulnerabilities, precious moments, thoughts, happiness, sadness, and much more. In “Recording the period” we are exploring the framing of this specific moment in time and how life on this planet is captured right now.
(Re)constructing Reality
“Reconstructing reality” is conceptualized as the process of altering and exploring new perspectives of reality through the change of perspective of space and time in order to cope or even escape from it especially during the pandemic era. The theme analyses the role that our senses play in this process and the objects that aided us in changing our perception of reality.
Nostalgia
In times of hardship, we are returning to moments that bring us comfort in order to cope with the difficulties of life and feelings of stress or sadness. In “Nostalgia” we are exploring this longing for comfort by looking at how people carried forward family traditions and reconnected with treasured childhood memories to investigate why these nostalgic practices solace us.
Health
With the Coronavirus spreading around the world, one of the biggest concerns of the period is to stay healthy. In this theme, we are going on a journey of spirituality and religion and also review how else people practiced self-care. Moreover, we are addressing areas in which health deteriorated during Covid-19 and how this sometimes became normality.