Slow memory is an emergent concept that offers a new angle to reflect on how societies and individuals remember the pasts that meaningfully affect their present and future. It begins from the premise that we are familiar with commemorating sudden or extreme events such as wars, atrocities, or catastrophes, but we are less certain about how to deal with slow-moving transformations that may be just as impactful. These slow transformations, such as climate change, deindustrialisation, or structural racism, can have both negative and positive effects and often occur without a clear location or timeframe.

SlowMemo is a research network uniting scholars and practitioners from many different disciplines (humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and technologists) to explore these slow-moving transformations and how we respond to them culturally. In the midst of our rapid-response culture, SlowMemo takes a step back to explore how societies confront their past to contend with environmental, economic, and social changes brought on by sudden events or by slow, creeping transformations.

Now I think we can agree that communicating about an emerging method or new approach, especially when touching upon already sensitive topics like gender, war, race, and climate change, is no easy feat. So, when it comes to science communication and public engagement, how about adopting an immersive approach? This is exactly what SlowMemo did at their takeover of the Presence of the Past exhibition at House of European History museum in Brussels (an initiative of the European Parliament) with their event Slow Down How You Remember and their self-guided activity sheets of the exhibition.
We catch up with Jenny Wüstenberg from Nottingham Trent University, Chair of SlowMemo, to learn more about the project:

Where did the idea for the slow memory guided tours come from?

As always, the best ideas emerge over coffee! I had been connected to Simina Badica (Curator at House of European History) by our mutual friend Dr Gruia Badescu (University of Konstanz), and as we discussed the ideas behind Slow Memory, Simina mentioned that she and her colleagues were working on an exhibition in which gradual transformations are remembered and which showcases slow ways of engaging with the past. So we decided on the spot to plan a workshop together and see what emerged from it!

What was it like to collaborate with the House of European History?

Fantastic! About 10 researchers from the core group of the Slow Memory Action came to Brussels in May 2025. After presenting the key concepts of Slow Memory, Simina and Stephanie treated us to a detailed guided tour of The Presence of the Past exhibition, explaining not only each photographer’s approach, but the guiding ideas of the exhibition and the process of curation. Then we just brainstormed and came up with the idea of creating “activity cards” that visitors could take into the exhibition to help them take a slow memory approach. These were then developed by small teams over the next few months, designed and translated – and now they are available for use in the museum.

Do you know of any other museums or galleries using the slow memory approach?

The House of European History certainly is a leader in this regard: they instituted “Slow Looking” tours, which guide visitors to take their time with a single or a few museum objects, rather than rushing through a gallery. But other museum professionals have also begun experimenting with this approach, as our podcast episode ‘Slow Memory in Curatorial Work‘ shows.

What does a slow memory activity at the museum look like?

One exercise invites visitors to find a specific photograph (pictured centre) and then pause, look closely, and take time. Visitors are asked to reflect upon what they notice in this photograph of three women in red, what draws their attention, and to guess what is going on – all without reading the text.
Next visitors are asked to slowly find another photograph and related video in the exposition from the same series. Again without reading the label, visitors are asked to reflect upon the performance they see and the people involved addressing questions about the red clothing worn by the women, the presence of multiple generations in the performance, consider why it is silent and the emotions being transmitted, and reflect on the concept of living monuments.
Only at the end of this process are visitors invited to read the story of the photographer and understand the context.
This slow discovery of the works prompts moments of self-reflection and analysis before reading the “about” information. Visitors are invited to look for details that might offer clues and discover the work through their own lens, exploring how culture and memory can affect how we respond.
What were your hopes for the collaboration?
We were hoping to take Slow Memory “into the wild – in other words, try out whether our ideas could help us understand gradual transformations that were being remembered in practice and whether they might be useful for countering “short-term thinking” and ubiquitous time shortages. We also hoped to disseminate slow memory to broader audiences, including policymakers.

How can public engagement and science communication projects like this improve knowledge and understanding of your field?

Creative approaches like ours and collaboration with partners are absolutely essential to public engagement and effective science communication. As researchers, we of course care about conducting rigorous research, but unless members of the public and policy communities hear about it, it will never have much of an impact. So in our Slow Memory Action, we thought about how to engage with partners from the outset. What the communication strategy looks like must always be determined in close collaboration with partners – because they are the ones “on the ground” and know what may strike a chord. And, a certain measure of playfulness and experimentation is also part of the mix for success.

Further information

The Presence of the Past exhibition at the House of European History is free to visit and runs until 11 January 2026. Discover more about this history exhibition.
Couldn’t make it to the event or to Brussels to visit the exhibition? No problem! SlowMemo recorded a podcast with Simina Badica and Stéphanie Gonçalves, curators at House of European History, to bring the exhibition to you. Listeners are guided through the Presence of the Past through the lens of “slow witnessing. Discussing photographic projects that reimagine how Europe remembers, they focus on two striking case studies: Julien Sales’ Glacier, The Last Image, a haunting self-portrait of a disappearing glacier, and Hugo Passarello Luna’s Nostalgie de la Boue, which blurs the line between First World War history and reenactment. Reflecting on these works, the curator illustrates how slowing down to notice details, connections, and emotions can deepen our understanding of memory as a living, complex presence.

Other science communication best practice examples:

OneHealthBlastocystis and Blastie, the international jetsetting plush Instagram influencer
ConservePlants and hand illustrated children’s books to communicate about endangered plants
EpiLipidNET and board games to explain lipids
EU4MOFs and podcasts for engagement and connection
ENEOLI and the neologism of the week campaign