Change and renewal characterize The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology and 2019 has been an exciting and busy year. We have much to look forward to!
A new five-year strategy for the museum was adopted in 2019. This enables all employees, more than ever before, to move in the same direction to achieve our common goals. In addition to continuing our ordinary activities with dissemination, science center and temporary exhibitions, we are in a period where modernization and renewal of several of our large permanent exhibitions is absolutely necessary. It is in particular the planning of a new health and medical history exhibition and a complete renewal of the entire ICT exhibition that is on the way in 2020 and 2021, which takes a lot of our resources.
Museum director Frode Meinich. Photo: Håkon Bergseth
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The year's biggest exhibition venture The Moon landing 50 years - is a real audience success from Easter and throughout the year. -
The museum receives the prestigious museum award for best exhibition in the category large exhibitions 2018 from the British Society for the History of Science (BSHS) for the exhibition PEOPLE – from racial types to DNA sequences.
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Snøhetta is signed as a collaboration partner for the development of exhibition design for the new ICT exhibition that opens in 2021.
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The Friends' Association allocates money for the restoration of the large water wheel at the entrance, the electric arc furnace in front of the museum's main entrance, the beautiful industrial model from 1954 and a large new model railway.
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TENK Tech Camp is being held for the 3rd year in a row at The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology . There are far too few girls interested in technology today, and we are doing something about that!
Photo: Håkon Bergseth
The Association of Friends
The purpose of the Association of Friends of The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology is to contribute to the development of The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology , and to be a forum for enthusiasts, companies and organizations with an interest in the museum's work and technical and medical history. The association has its origins back to the museum's founding in 1914. It actively works with technical communities in the business community to promote exciting projects. The association had 1,352 members in 2019.
During 2019, the association, together with Tekna and NITO Oslo and Akershus, offered free technology history lectures at the museum every month.
In spring and autumn, family Sundays are organized in collaboration with Tekna and NITO, to create interest and enthusiasm for the museum in the two largest technological communities in Norway. On the family days, a multitude of experiences are arranged, for the visitors to play, learn and be inspired.
The association of friends provides guides, who have in-depth expertise in various areas, and tells about Halvorsen's workshop, the Caravelle, the Cadillac, the cars, the sawmill, the music exhibition, and shows the model of an industrial society, which the association of friends is restoring.
The members are also invited to a boat trip with the steamship DS Børøysund in June. Norway's only coal-fired steamship in traffic. The Friends Association participated for the 4th time in the Sandviken-Sundvolden vintage car race with the museum's Cadillac from 1916. This Cadillac was restored by the Friends Association in 2011-2014.
In 2019, the Venneforeningen allocates NOK 1.23 million to realize four projects:
- Restoration of the Industrial model, a model with three industrial communities from the 1950s, with a model railway and ship.
- Acquisition of a large new model railway.
- Restoration/repair of the large water wheel.
- Restoration of the electric arc furnace outside the entrance to the museum.
The Friends Association also transfers NOK 434,577 to the museum's operations in 2019. The association is a member of the Association of Norwegian Museum Friends, has its own secretariat and is formally independent of The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology .
Companies and organisations
- Autozentrum Sport AS, Porsche Norway, has supported a preliminary project on the conservation and restoration of the museum's Lohner Porsche.
- The Directorate for Children, Youth and Families (Bufdir) has granted grants for creative workshop activities in collaboration with three youth clubs in Groruddalen.
- The Directorate for Internationalization and Quality Development in Higher Education (DIKU), at the Program for Artistic Development Work, has supported the research project Blind spot – Staring Down the Void, which the museum's exhibition BLIND SPOT is part of.
- The Eckbos Legat supported the restoration, supervision and service of the 1916 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, before it was returned.
- The ISHPSSB conference has received support from the following partners: CEES - Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Life Sciences UiO, Department of Health and Society UiO, Cultural History Museum UiO, Research Council of Norway, The Science Studies colloquium Series UiO, TIK Center for Technology, innovation and culture UiO, UiO: Life Sciences.
- NEMKO has provided support for the intake and arrangement of objects, archives and photo archives from their operations.
- Norid has provided support for a new permanent ICT exhibition and the dissemination project How to exhibit the Internet?
- NRK has provided support for the arrangement of archival material that accompanied the intake of their technical-historical collection.
- The Norwegian Public Transport Historical Council in Oslo and Akershus (Ruter) has, on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the tram, provided support for a permanent screening of Hans Berge's historic film of a tram ride through the city.
- The Culture Council supports the project Museums' topography of knowledge (2018-2020), which the museum carries out in collaboration with the Østfold Museums. In addition, the Cultural Council supports several museum network projects in which the museum actively participates: Norwegian Photo History 9 April 1940 to 22 July 2011 (led by the Preus Museum), "Now it starts again" - about gender representation in the museums' collection and dissemination practices ( managed by the Women's Museum/Anno Museum) and Minner - gathering place for contemporary documentation (managed by the Lillehammer Museum Foundation).
- The Norwegian Culture Council has provided security funds for ITV monitoring of the exhibitions.
- The Nordic Culture Fund has supported the project Future Technical Museums.
- The Norwegian Association of Museums has supported Young Critics.
- The Oslofjord Foundation supports the research project “Reduced aging and active conservation of plastic objects in museums and collections” (Rapmus), in which The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology is one of several participating museums (led by the Vestfold Museums).
- Ringnes A/S has provided support for a research project on the historical archive of Ringnes Bryggeri.
- Sparebankstiftelsen DNB has deposited a large collection of photographs, Dextra Photo, at the museum and for several years has provided operating support for the work of preserving and disseminating the collection. The foundation has also contributed to the national project Skaperskolen, in which the science center is one of the actors. In autumn 2019, Sparebankstiftelsen DNB granted funds for the expansion of The Talent Centre to three new locations in Oslo. In addition, Sparebankstiftelsen DNB has given a larger grant to the Witensenterforeningen for programming equipment in the school and project super:bit (mentioned below).
- Tekna has given support to Teknolab creative workshop.
- The University of Bergen has supported the annual seminar of the National Museum Network for the History of Health and Medicine
- The Norwegian Directorate of Education has given support to the initiative on The Talent Centre and The technological school bag/super:bit at Oslo Science Centre . Super:bit is a collaboration with NRK, Lær Kidsa Koding and the regional science centers in Norway where Oslo Science Centre has a central role.