Researchers from across the Matariki Network of Universities (MNU) recently gathered in Oslo for a stimulating few days of discussion, collaboration, and creative exploration as part of the Curating Cultural Heritage for the Medical and Health Humanities project.
Day One: Exploring Collections and Ethics at Norsk Teknisk Museum
The first day was hosted by the Norwegian National Museum of Medicine at Norsk Teknisk Museum and organised by Phil Loring, Curator of the History of Medicine. Participants were treated to a guided tour of the museum’s collection, followed by a collaborative audio description workshop inspired by Amanda Cachia’s forthcoming book The Agency of Access (2025).
Photo archivist Arne B. Langleite shared insights on working with sensitive and complex materials in the Severin Worm-Petersen photography collection, sparking rich discussion around photography, ethics, and emotional responses in archival work. Later in the day, artist Lucy Lyons led a “slow-looking” drawing session using medical objects from the collection—an activity that encouraged deep engagement through observational drawing.
The day concluded with a private viewing of Lifeblood: Edvard Munch at the Munchmuseet, curated by network Principal Investigator Allison Morehead. The exhibition offered a compelling intersection of medical and art historical narratives through Munch’s work.
Day Two: Conversations in the Gallery
The second day centred on the Lifeblood exhibition itself, convening curators, art historians, artists, and scholars in the medical humanities. Conversations unfolded within the gallery space, enabling participants to reflect directly on the artworks and associated medical objects in situ.
The day closed on a brisk and invigorating note with a sauna and swim in Oslo harbour—an ideal conclusion to an intense and rewarding day of intellectual exchange.
Day Three: Curating Modernism and Medicine
The final day saw participants attend an art history–focused conference on Curating Modernism and Medicine at the University of Oslo, continuing the themes of interdisciplinary exchange and critical engagement with cultural heritage in medical contexts.
Acknowledgements and Collaborators
Special thanks go to the team at Norsk Teknisk Museum for their generous hospitality, and in particular to Phil Loring for his thoughtful collaboration throughout the planning process; to Lucy Lyons for facilitating the drawing workshop; to the team at MUNCH; and to Allison Morehead for bringing together such a wide range of perspectives over the course of the three days.
Curating Cultural Heritage for the Medical & Health Humanities is a collaborative initiative involving researchers from Queen’s University (Canada), Uppsala University (Sweden)—via Cecilia Rodehn and the Centre for Medical Humanities (CMH)—and the Institute for Medical Humanities at Durham University. The project is supported by seed funding from the Matariki Network of Universities (MNU).
