Between 2001 and 2023, the exhibition Cultures of creativity explored the origins and expressions of creativity through the hundred-year history of the Nobel Prize.
Focusing on the work of around thirty Nobel Prize Laureates, the exhibition illustrated how both individual contributions and inspiring environments shape and foster creativity.
Individuals and milieus
The courage to think differently, question established theories, and combine diverse ideas are traits that characterize individual creative ability.
In Cultures of creativity, this personal drive was illustrated through examples such as Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen’s discovery of X-rays, Martin Luther King’s peace work, and the literary works of Selma Lagerlöf.
The influence of environment on creativity was shown through informal meeting places where spontaneous conversations arise — from the cafés of 1920s Paris, where Nobel Prize Laureates like Ernest Hemingway and Samuel Beckett worked, to today’s cafeteria at CERN or the colleges of Cambridge University.
A traveling exhibition
Cultures of creativity was shown on a global tour 2001–2007
Oslo, Norwegian Folk Museum
9 August 2001–17 December 2001
Tokyo, National Science Museum
18 March 2002–9 June 2002
Seoul, The Rodin Gallery
23 August 2002–3 November 2002
Houston, Houston Museum of Natural Science
7 February 2003–11 May 2003
Chicago, Chicago Museum of Science and Industry
27 September 2003–10 December 2003
Kuala Lumpur, National Science Center
20 March 2004–27 June 2004
Florence, Palazzo Strozzi
15 September 2005–2 January 2005
New York, New York Hall of Science
13 March 2005–21 May 2005
San Fransisco, Exploratorium
14 July 2005–2 October 2005
London, British Library
2 December 2005–15 March 2006
Bangalore, Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum
27 May 2006–31 August 2006
Singapore, National University of Singapore
26 October 2006–24 January 2007
Sydney, University of Technology
16 April 2007–15 July 2007
Abu Dhabi, The Emirates Palace
23 October 2007–15 December 2007
Einstein’s manuscript
The exhibition also featured a manuscript written by Albert Einstein in 1922, now a part of the museum’s collection thanks to a private donation.
Listen to our senior curator Ulf Larsson, as he shares insights about the manuscript and the transformative, exciting era in the history of science during which it was written.
The shop
Discover a range of literature, gifts and souvenirs which connects to current exhibitions, the Nobel Prize and Alfred Nobel.
For families
Experiment in our workshop room, take a quiz or explore the childrens room.
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Events
Friday nights at the museum
Explore our events, which span from concerts, literary talks, lectures, and performances to food and drink tastings.