The exhibition 2 tjugotal (2 20s) explores the 1920s, a decade of great change that in many ways laid the foundations for modern society. A time tunnel transports visitors back to the 1920s, on a journey of discovery that examines a variety of themes, both serious and playful. Throughout the exhibition there are portraits of women whose lives left their mark on society during the decade. Questions about our own time, the 2020s, are revealed by sliding doors.
Visually, the exhibition is dominated by the 1920s. Avant-gardist ideas in art, fashion and design rub shoulders with economic hardship and poor housing conditions. A wide variety of exhibits from the museum’s collections are on display, everything from exquisite party clothes to condom packaging and even a motorcycle. A large number of images from the era are also displayed, alongside a selection of film clips. The accompanying music also adds to the sense of a bygone era.
The 1920s was a period of liberation and faith in the future, but also of an increasingly ominous zeitgeist. There are similarities with the current decade – widening economic disparities, polarisation, conspiracy theories, mistrust of democratic governance and the growing influence of populist political parties and right-wing extremism.
However, there are also numerous differences. Conditions today are not what they were in the 1920s, but we know what developments at that time led to. The question is what do we do with that knowledge?
This exhibition explores themes such as housing, film, fashion, art, sexuality, identity, consumption, work, leisure, technology and science. Topical questions on the same themes are revealed by sliding doors. Our hope is that this will spark reflection and discussion among visitors. The exhibition also features the voices of students from Spyken Upper Secondary School in Lund, discussing themes they consider important.
Another aspect of the exhibition focuses on 30 or so women, both well-known and less well-known, who all contributed in some way to developments during the 1920s. They include scientists, film stars, artists, political activists and noted national and international figures, as well as lesser-known individuals, some of whom had ties to Lund.
2 tjugotal (2 20s) examines both the serious and the playful, the highs and the lows – all in an evocative setting.
The exhibition has been curated by Kulturen in Lund.
Runs to January 2026.
Scan the QR codes on the exhibition signs to read the English translation!