The distinction between nature and culture has been a predominant trait of modern Western thought. This sharp divide is also articulated in many scientific disciplines, knowledge practices and institutions such as the museum. In the museum sector the distinction between museums of natural history and art and culture historical museums affects how collections are maintained, communicated and made subject to research.
NAMUS will explore how this worldview is articulated in practice and what consequences the division of the world in nature/culture have for museums in the Anthropocene as natural and cultural history becomes more tightly interwoven and reciprocal. Using the consolidated museums in Vestland county as starting point, NAMUS seeks to explore what alternative modes of thinking and practices are present in the museum landscape in Western Norway through coastal cultures, boat building traditions and the built environment of the agricultural and industrial society alike.
NAMUS asks the following research questions:
How do different disciplinary perspectives in museums affect the understanding of time and in what ways do these differences relate to different perceptions of nature/culture-relations?
How are different understandings of nature and culture practiced by museum staff and researchers in traditional crafts and how are nature and culture knowledge interwoven in cultural practices?
In what ways are different understandings of time in the cultural landscapes of museums and how are these understandings of past, present and future practiced in the museum institutions?
How do museums negotiate between raising awareness about environmental damage on caused by humans, and the representation of human achievements as treasured cultural heritage?
NAMUS will build competence among museum staff and strengthen the collaboration with academia through forums and exhibitions that tackle some of the most pressing questions of our time.
Collaboration between museums and university
Museum Vest, Hardanger and Voss Museum, and the University of Bergen’s Department of Archaeology, History, Cultural and Religious Studies are participating in the project together with the Museums of Sogn og Fjordane. The project will start in 2026 and run for three years. The Research Council of Norway is supporting it with six million Norwegian kroner.