COVID-19 has radically transformed society, workplaces and even museums. Adapting in a 'new normal', University of Aberdeen's M.Litt in museum studies students launched their virtual exhibition on protection entitled: "Safekeeping". The link to this new exhibition can be found here.
The exhibition's five sections consists of: 'Protecting the Self', 'Guarding Possessions', 'Caring for Loved Ones', 'Preserving Customs' and 'Why do we protect?'. Artefacts displayed in the digital gallery include: a Ghanese fertility figure, a Scottish marriage pistol and a Chinese charm coin.
Alyssa Woodal, a University of Aberdeen student in museum studies, found that this year's exhibition theme was unanimous, but also found that the concept of protection varied across time and cultures;
''The theme of the exhibition, ‘Safekeeping’, seemed almost apropos for the new normal of virtual realities and online classes that have quickly become familiar to many of us. When first formulating possible themes for the exhibition in late 2019, a decision to investigate the idea of ‘protection’ was unanimous. Upon further investigation, our team began to realise that forms of protection could be found across different cultures and time. With each object added to the exhibition, we began to realise that what people value is evident in what they protect. From items that actively counteract harm inflicted by humans to objects that are perceived to carry the energy to defeat other unseen or natural dangers.''
After their intensive preparations, the M.Litt students are keen on receiving feedback for the digital exhibition which can be sent to: museums@abdn.ac.uk
