The University of Tartu Museum’s new exhibition “Is It Easy to Be Old?” invites people to reflect on ageing

At the University of Tartu Museum, visitors can see the exhibition “Is It Easy to Be Old?”, which invites people to reflect on the meaning of ageing and the challenges of an ageing society.

The exhibition “Is It Easy to Be Old?” addresses ageing from both a societal and a personal perspective. The curators of the exhibition are Karoliina Kalda, Külli Lupkin, and Terje Lõbu from the University of Tartu Museum, together with Birgit Landberg from the theatre Must Kast.

“The exhibition space invites visitors to explore it theme by theme. Visitors can reflect on how old is ‘old,’ how we imagine an elderly person, whether we are able to accept an ageing body, and also ask how habitual language use or restrictions in urban space can either reinforce stereotypes or help to dismantle them,” the curators explained.

In addition, the exhibition offers the opportunity to try on an ageing-simulation suit, glasses that imitate vision impairments, explore different forms of tinnitus, and much more, helping visitors to experience ageing firsthand.

In creating the exhibition, cooperation took place with members of the target group and researchers from various fields. For example, one part of the exhibition features researcher Rebeka Põldsam’s insights into the future visions of middle-aged and older LGBTQ+ people in Estonia.