The Finnish government has announced the launch of a “Museum of Modern Emotions” to help people reflect on and recover from the Covid pandemic.
"The Museum of Modern Emotions is designed to support citizens in recovering from a crisis and to record exceptional times in an exceptional way," project communication manager Päivi Tampere stated in a government press release and added that it is working "to help our society anticipate similar events in the future."
By combining science and the arts, virtual museum The journey begins with the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration in March 2020 that the coronavirus pandemic was a pandemic.
The tour then charts a schedule of key events for 2020 — including people’s struggles with insomnia, a transition to distance learning, and an unexpected baby boom — with particular emphasis on self-reflection of the feelings of the pandemic era.
People’s feelings during the crisis were monitored, among other things, by analyzing statistics, search engine and social media trends, and research.
Featuring 30 photographers, 6 artists
The museum’s images were provided by about 30 photographers who captured everyday life in Finland during the pandemic, and six artists were commissioned to create a series of emotional works of art.
Numerous reports and surveys throughout the pandemic have highlighted the effects of the crisis on people’s mental health, including immigrants living in Finland and young adults.