The Nordic Museum is looking for a long-awaited hug

Since March 2020, the Nordic Museum has been collecting stories from everyday life in times of pandemic. Now they want to follow it up by capturing emotions when the pollen is here.

Of all the stories that have reached the museum over the past year, hugs in particular stand out as being important to people’s experience of being lost and longing. This is the opinion of Anna Friedholm, Curator of the Cultural History Department at the Museum of the North. She thinks it’s so universal to want to be close to someone you’ve been yearning for, and so the museum wants to capture those moments.

I think a lot goes through the body. I think many would describe a feeling of relief and joy, but maybe a little bit of anxiety as well. It’s been a long time since you allowed yourself to hug someone and maybe this feeling is in the back of your head; Is this really okay? I think I have been long overdue for many, says Anna Friedholm.

You want to preserve memories for posterity

The anticipated contributions will be part of the epidemic story that will be preserved for the future in the archives of the Nordic Museum.

We would like to give a comprehensive picture of the afterlife of this epidemic that we have gone through. Our mission is to collect memories and stories from the time we live in now so that future generations get an insight into what actually happened during this pandemic year.

Hear Anna Friedholm tell us more about the group in the clip above.