The Heritage Seminar meets Vera Was Here
Which stories endure the passage of time? What role do they play in our collective memories and identities? How can the digitisation of cultural heritage foster historical empathy? Welcome to a guided tour of Vera Was Here, followed by a panel discussion with researchers from The Heritage Seminar at Stockholm University.
Vera Was Here presents artistic practices that explore collective myth-making, speculative archaeology, and processes of mourning. During the afternoon, researchers are invited to reflect on works by the artists Bitsy Knox, Dala Nasser, and Nora Al-Badri. In different ways, their artistry engages with stories and symbols that recur across time. By foregrounding these repetitions, the works highlight how these recurring motifs shape humanity’s collective history. The tour is led by the exhibition’s curator, Therese Kellner.
Five researchers from The Heritage Seminar will then reflect on and respond to the works, drawing on their own research and the seminar’s work. They will address questions such as the role of cultural heritage in contexts of war and conflict, the implications of digitisation for the authenticity of cultural heritage, and the potential of digital materialisation to make history more accessible.
The panel comprises Mattias Frihammar, Anna Jörngården Galili, Eva Insulander, Susanne Tienken and Anna Laine from The Heritage Seminar. The moderator is Therese Kellner, curator at Accelerator.
Accelerator, Frescativägen 26A
Thursday, 29 January, 15:00 – 17:00
Guided tour: 15:00 – 15:45
The panel discussion begins at 16:00
Language: Swedish
Free admission, no registration required.
About The Heritage Seminar
The Heritage Seminar at Stockholm University is an interdisciplinary forum that brings together researchers interested in cultural heritage and museum studies. The seminar enables cross-disciplinary dialogue, research initiatives, and collaborations, as well as the exchange of experiences related to teaching in the field of cultural heritage.
Participants
Mattias Frihammar is Associate Professor of Ethnology with an interest in collective memory processes, difficult cultural heritage, and issues at the intersection of nature and culture.
Eva Insulander, PhD, is Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer at the Department of Education at Stockholm University. Her research focuses on topics related to museums, educational history, and history education.
Anna Jörngården Galili is an associate professor of literary studies, with a particular focus on questions concerning the relationship to the past, memory, and historiography.
Anna Laine, PhD, Culture and Media Studies at Linköping University, weaves together anthropological, artistic, and curatorial processes.
Susanne Tienken is an associate professor and senior lecturer in German, specializing in linguistics, at Stockholm University. Her research focuses on language use in both contemporary and historical contexts, with a particular interest in the various relationships between language and culture.
Therese Kellner, curator at Accelerator, will moderate the panel discussion.
