The Your thing — our history Exhibition as a Reflection of Current Societal Trends in Denmark

Abstract

The text is dedicated to the issue of material imprints of the culture and the current state of the dynamics of social relations in Denmark. The analysis of this broad topic is possible due to the specific case that compressed the full specter of modern perceptions on national character, problems and interests. The exhibition Your Thing — Our History held at the National Museum in 2017 serves as the research object. In order to reveal the constitutive elements that shape the Danish culture, the national image — which is the scope of the study — the paper reconstructs these features from the artifacts displayed, tracing the links connecting the things displayed and the societal realities. What is revealed from the messages the artifacts convey is that there are culture-specific features such as the love of the national flag and the Royal House, pride in national achievements in space travel, or the notion of hygge; they are the sources of unity and common pride. Other trends that are embodied in the things given by the Danes are paradoxical or even controversial. The culture of achievement and speed that are mass phenomena, enforced by mass media, run counter to the egalitarian law of Jante venerated by the Scandinavian peoples. The issue of migrant inflows also fosters disputes, as well as struggle for equality and feminism vs. traditional masculinity, freedom of speech being religiously insulting, consumerism prevailing over environmentally-responsible behavior, and the expansion of healthy lifestyle amid widespread depression resulting in suicides. The latest trends are typical not only of the contemporary Danish society, but also of the Russian society and of the globalizing world in general. Common trends include a shift in family values, formation of the culture of achievement, accumulation of interest in family trees and histories, steady computerization of all social relations, and the rising popularity of startups, healthy lifestyles, and eco-products. Generally, however, the central societal trend that embraces all the above mentioned manifestations is adaptation, inherent in the Danish character — so overcoming the crises is what unites all artifacts and underlines societal cohesion. The touch of modern history is empirical and visible.