Brita Brenna

Brita Brenna is a Professor of Cultural History and Museology at the University of Oslo's Faculty of Humanities, affiliated with the Department of Culture, Religion, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. Her research focuses on the intersection of material culture and knowledge production, particularly in museums, exhibitions, and historical collections. She has held roles including Head of the Museology Programme, Deputy Chairman of the Arctic University Museum of Norway board, and editor of Nordisk Museologi. Brenna's work explores 18th-century natural history, 19th-century exhibitions, and contemporary museum practices, emphasizing feminist science studies and new materialism. She has contributed to significant projects like Museums as Cultures of Copies and Collecting Norden, and regularly advises on museum governance and cultural heritage policy.

Research Interests:

• Material culture and knowledge systems
• Museum curation and display practices
• Historical collections and scientific practices
• Gender in museum historiography
• Norwegian cultural history

Publications highlight themes like 18th-century Trondheim's cultural networks, participatory museum democracy, and the role of vitrines in natural history displays. She has served on boards for institutions like Anno Museum AS and the Norwegian Society for 18th Century Studies, reflecting her commitment to both academic and applied museology.