Opening: The Social Life of Dead Bodies X A Name, Not a Number

The opening begins at 18:00 with an opening address, alcohol-free sparkling wine, and an introduction to the exhibitions and the research field they emerge from. Mirko Mattia, curator and conservator at CAL and MUSA - LABANOF, Institute for Biomedical Sciences for Health at The University of Milan, is invited from Milan to participate. Lecturer and PI of the SOLID project Anja Simonsen, along with postdocs Gül Üret and Félicien De Heusch, will then give a brief introduction to their work in the ERC-funded SOLID project, and research assistant and multimodal anthropologist Arendse Reeh will present parts of the exhibition's experimental research communication, which she has developed in close collaboration with the research group and participants from the field.

Thousands of people arrive in Europe as refugees each year. Many lose their lives during migration, and we still know very little about why they died and how their death affects those left behind. This is what the exhibition 'The Social Life of Dead Bodies X A Name, Not a Number' investigates. Through narratives, sound and video installations, poems, a reconstruction of a shipwreck, and maps, the exhibition provides insight into the identification work with lives that are far too often reduced to numbers in statistics. The sea takes form in the exhibition as a sensory reminder of the journeys, hopes, and losses connected to the Mediterranean.

The two research projects SOLID and LABANOF - MUSA seek to understand what it means to lose a family member - or to live in uncertainty about what has happened to a loved one. Both projects are funded by the European Research Council (ERC).

The exhibition is located in the foyer of Nørrebrohallen and at Nørrebro Library (to the right of the main entrance). Opening hours follow Nørrebrohallen's opening hours. The exhibition runs until 18 October 2026.

Important information: The exhibition addresses sensitive themes such as death and loss. All events are held in English. Remember to bring headphones and a smartphone to get the full experience.