What do a baby elephant made with recycled car parts, photographs of students in front of their computers, and a fence full of gift bags have in common?Although they are very different, they have all become vital symbols of the COVID-19 lockdown in Austria. The Technical Museum Vienna is displaying these and many other items to show their varied effect on society.
This is the first emerging installation related to the coronavirus in Austria as part of the Sustainable Development Goals and was presented through the Vienna Technical Museum with the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Vienna. Since the beginning of 2020, the Vienna Technical Museum has been committed to promoting sustainability with the concept of using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework for long-term exhibitions.
“The SDGs manifest in our project as an ideal framework definition for the concept of ‘sustainability’. Through our initiatives, the SDGs are contextualized with a variety of museum-related activities and serve as a basis for discussion in our visitors”. said museum director Peter Aufreiter.
With the pop-up installation “Corona Impact: Mementos in 17 Stations”, the museum decided to mount an exhibition a few days after its reopening following the closure of museums in Austria. In the spirit of “Rapid Response Collection”, a wide variety of items that had gained importance in the time of COVID-19 and demonstrated their effect were immediately collected and displayed. The museum is a place where a social discourse of fresh debates can be positioned, far from the inflexible concept implied by museums. only antiques.
“With the emerging installation, we need to inspire a reflected image and discussion. Visitors will have a non-public connection to many articles and topics, while for other facets we need to raise awareness about different and less familiar realities of life. “The director explained. Aufreiter.
In 17 stations, all SDGs related to the incidence of coronavirus in Austria are covered. The pass? Train and raise awareness. In Station 1: No to Poverty, he shows how existing inequalities in Austria have been reinforced by the influence of the virus. At the station, the frequently recommended “stay at home” appointment was performed. Stop by and draw attention to the pre-car conditions of homeless people during the crisis. Attention was also drawn to citizens’ initiatives. In the installation, a copy of one of the so-called “gift barriers” is displayed. The fences have become a sign of solidarity and were used to attach bags of materials to them so that others in need can retrieve them anonymously. A bathing elephant has become a rather special symbol, represented in the form of recycled car parts. used through the passvernment to imply the minimum distance between other people.
“With symbolic representations such as the gift barrier or the overflowing shopping cart, I was able to convey the effects of the crisis to my young people in a much more understandable way,” says one visitor.
As a comprehensive reflected picture of the social scenario in Austria the COVID-19 lockdown, the many opportunities are also presented, especially in the picture of digitalization or environmental issues, where attractive measures and adjustments have been observed in the last two months. For example, how academics can gain advantages from online learning will want to be assessed and step forward to help achieve SDG four (quality education).
The installation offers a glimpse into how the SDGs can have an effect on all facets of our lives and the massive effect the pandemic has had on them as well. It shows the existing obstacles and opportunities related to the SDGs and makes it clear that we want to embrace the cutting-edge concepts of governments, civil society and ordinary citizens and all act in combination in the next steps.
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