On the 15th of December 2022 the Nationalmuseet Denmark opened it's TAKING CARE experimental exhibition ,Miswak'. It was created in collaboration with the Danish NGO 'Dental Health Without Borders' and with students from Aalborg University and tells the story of a little toothbrush that has been in use for millennia. The exhibition builds a bridge between ancient knowledge and important questions of our time such as climate change and plastic pollution, as well as cultural appropriation and global health rights.
" Tooth decay and toothache are a growing problem. Yet it is a neglected global health issue and tooth decay is the most common non-communicable disease in the world. Dental health is a crucial factor in every person's quality of life. It has an impact on children and their learning. Children can find it extremely difficult to concentrate on their schoolwork when they have a toothache. This leads to millions of lost school days every year," Bo Danielsen from Dental Health Without Borders (via.ritzau.dk, 15.12.2022)
Via RFID-tagged (a type of tracking system that uses smart barcodes in order to identify items) 3D-printed objects the visitors can activate six different narratives about the global "natural toothbrush" Miswak.
The exhibition is a part of the European collaboration of TAKING CARE, which explores how ethnographic collections may contribute to a more sustainable world.