Now Online: Goodbye to Heritage: Svalbard’s Past Beyond Conservation
The second lecture in the Lantern Lectures series is now available to watch
In this talk, Anatolijs Venovcevs, researcher in historical archaeology at Svalbard Museum, explores the uncomfortable but increasingly unavoidable question of loss in heritage management. While societies have long-developed rituals for letting go of people and objects, heritage has often been treated as something that must endure indefinitely. In the context of climate change, limited resources, and the sheer volume of sites under protection, this assumption is becoming untenable—particularly in Svalbard.
Drawing on recent thinking in heritage studies, Venovcevs considers how we might responsibly say goodbye to heritage: what such processes could look like, and what kinds of meaningful conversations they might enable. He proposes that Svalbard, with its small community, close proximity to decision-makers, and highly educated and creative population, could play a leading role in developing experimental approaches to heritage management in an age of unprecedented loss.
Recorded live at Svalbard Museum on 11 December 2025
Talk presented in English (Norwegian subtitles)
Watch the full talk here:
About the Lantern Lectures
Presented by Artica Svalbard in collaboration with Svalbard Museum, the Lantern Lectures series revives the spirit of 19th-century magic lantern lectures — intimate community gatherings that combined storytelling, images, and knowledge-sharing.
Taking place during the dark season, these five talks offer space for reflection on what matters most in the Arctic today — from climate change and cultural heritage to youth voices and polar science.
Upcoming events continue through December and January and are free to attend, see our events page if you would like to attend in person.
All lectures take place from 18:00–19:00 and will be published online after each event.
