Re-composing the digital present

This paper investigates the temporality that is produced in some recent and historical examples of media art. In exploring works by Janet Cardiff, Dennis Del Favero, and Omer Fast, I use the philosophy of Michel Serres and Gilles Deleuze to understand the convergence of temporalities that are composed in the digital present, as one moment in time overlays another moment. Developing Serres' concept of multi-temporality and Deleuze's philosophy of time and memory into a means to understand the non-linear time presented in these works, I argue that the different compositional strategies enacted by these artists provide the aesthetic grounding to experience “temporal thickness.” From here I investigate the interactive digital artworks Frames by Grahame Weinbren and Can You See Me Now? by the artist group Blast Theory. In this investigation, I understand interaction with technology, and the way that it shapes our sensory and processual experience, as a specifically temporal and temporalizing transaction, where human movements in the present are overlayed by technological processes

Their memory:exploring veterans’ voices, virtual reality and collective memory

This paper focuses on the virtual reality (VR) project Their Memory and details the development and evaluation of virtual reality environments and experiences with respect to its impact on young people (14-35 demographic) with the narratives of veterans in Scotland. As part of the AHRC Immersive Experiences program, Their Memory was created to explore how game design techniques and immersive technology could be used to enhance existing historical research and enrich narratives to bring expansive experiences to hard-to-reach audiences. The project worked directly with the veterans’ charity, Poppyscotland, to create an environment and experience that would resonate with new audiences, and explore documentary and storytelling techniques for the commemoration of war and conflict. The design of the project evolved through co-design sessions with veterans and young people and culminated in the creation of a short, thought-provoking, narrative-driven experience. The VR experience enabled players to connect with the memories of veterans in Scotland and exploring the different conflicts or situations they experienced and how they make sense of them. The project brought together cross-sector expertise to research how immersive experiences can help memory-based organizations in engaging with wider audiences, raise awareness, and diversify current learning outputs. The paper details the design and development of the Virtual Reality project, through co-design, and how this engaged the audience and evolved the experience created. The paper includes a summative evaluation of events conducted with schoolchildren to assess the project and concludes with how the project evidences impact upon audiences and the potential for both technology and the experience

Experiential media and transforming storytelling: A theoretical analysis

Journalism and media content rests on a foundation of storytelling. Shaping this storytelling is the quality of the medium of content delivery and the nature of public engagement. With the development of digital, networked media, the audience’s role is transforming to be more of an active user who experiences stories as a participant rather than as a passive receiver of content. This article proposes a new model of experiential media based on six primary qualities of the digital environment. These qualities are 1) interactivity, 2) immersion, 3) multi-sensory presentation, 4) algorithmic and data-driven, 5) first-person perspective, and 6) a natural user interface. Augmented reality and virtual reality are among the most-widely discussed experiential media forms, but others include, for instance, advanced ultra-high-definition video. Experiential media bring implications for the nature, production, impact and the future of mediated storytelling

'Breaking the glass': preserving social history in virtual environments

New media technologies play an important role in the evolution of our society. Traditional museums and heritage sites have evolved from the ‘cabinets of curiosity’ that focused mainly on the authority of the voice organising content, to the places that offer interactivity as a means to experience historical and cultural events of the past. They attempt to break down the division between visitors and historical artefacts, employing modern technologies that allow the audience to perceive a range of perspectives of the historical event. In this paper, we discuss virtual reconstruction and interactive storytelling techniques as a research methodology and educational and presentation practices for cultural heritage sites. We present the Narrating the Past project as a case study, in order to illustrate recent changes in the preservation of social history and guided tourist trails that aim to make the visitor’s experience more than just an architectural walk through

Learning Local Immigration History In and Out of the Museum

In this article we utilize three case studies from the US as models for structuring historical inquiry in museum education programs focused on local immigration history. We focus on how models of practice from museums can be utilized as part of authentic history education pedagogy – in particular conducting historical inquiry with archival material and creating engaging exhibits. The three cases we draw from are the Tenement Museum (New York City), the Open House exhibit at the Minnesota History Center (St Paul, Minnesota), and a middle grades project in the Greenbush neighborhood (Madison, Wisconsin)

Experiencing Cultural Heritage Through Gamification: Mardin orphanage

This paper presents early-stage research about the role of gamification in experiencing cultural heritage strongly within the sociological context, specifically focusing on the transformation of the old orphanage located in the historical city center of Mardin. The study acknowledges the significance of the old orphanage as an architectural heritage exemplar, built of natural Mardin stone, situated within a unique historical and archaeological urban environment. However, it recognizes the challenges of preserving the building's heritage value, which necessitate surpassing the superficial restoration methods applied to adapt it into a hotel. The primary motivation of this research is to develop a method for creating a navigable and interactive virtual replica of the orphanage, centering on the processes and outcomes of transferring its heritage value. To achieve this, the paper initially outlines the documentation and analysis procedures employed, utilizing photogrammetry to capture the past and current states of the orphanage. Subsequently, participants engage with a gamified and realistic digital replica of the orphanage, involving task-based interactions and scenario-based experiences. The paper concludes by presenting preliminary results concerning participant reactions to the initial virtual model, delivered through a VR device. By raising awareness about the significance of restoring and preserving historical heritage, this study aims to positively impact the domains of tourism, education, and conservation. Furthermore, it intends to shed light on future research opportunities in the field of digital cultural heritage.International Technological Universit

Communicating engineering heritage through immersive technology:A VR framework for enhancing users' interpretation process in virtual immersive environments

The recent advancement in immersive technologies opens up opportunities for the way individuals perceive and engage with information in public spaces to be innovated. This article discusses a study that investigates the application of Virtual Reality (VR) as an instrument for communicating engineering heritage in museum environments with the aim to enhance visitor experience. The study adopted Shannon’s communication theory as the main principle for contextualising heritage objects within virtual environments. This approach can benefit curators in informing the way the intended meaning, value, and context behind museum artefacts to be delivered through visual narratives and aesthetics. In this study, three VR scenarios have been developed using the Unreal engine to investigate the aspects of learning, interaction, and immersion during the virtual experience. One-way ANOVA approach was used to determine the significant differences between the proposed factors in the study. The study found that the absence of interaction in the immersive scenario reduced the mean score leading to a lack of constructive guidance during navigation. Whereas using Gamified and narrated approaches significantly increased the mean value of the participants compared to the control group. While many researchers argue that the utilisation of VR could improve the users’ level of presence, the study outcomes suggest that there are certain conditions that should be structured during the development process to facilitate better engagement with virtual content. To achieve these conditions, gamification and storytelling strategies have been found to be effective in delivering an interactive immersive experience for engaging with heritage artefacts and contents

Insights on the Film Tourism and Archéocinema for the Promotion of Heritage Tourism: A Critical Review

The link between Cultural Heritage (CH), media, and film tourism has gained increasing attention in the literature over the last two decades. The 21st-century film tourism industry edutainment must reflect the experiences of 21st-century digital/virtual requirements. Film tourism is often considered a potential marketing channel for World Heritage Sites (WHS) and CH tourism. Limited research addresses how heritage film tourism providers employ and deal with the film industry and Archéocinema media for marketing communication. This paper attempts to discuss the relationship between the capability of heritage film tourism as a promotional tool combined with Archéocinema in constructing the optimistic destination image of heritage tourism and experience as it flows in both physical places and virtual environments. It argues that both environments, as dynamic and generate meanings, merge, and embody subjectivity and objectivity now in one process. This process suggests building a critical, informative, and promotional purpose by engaging in storyline and storytelling, learning about what and how film tourism and Archéocinema can offer and representing it in a modern key within and beyond the physical dimensions of place in an ethical and transparent approach according to the London Charter and the Seville Principles