Authenticity and the Use of Multimedia at Cultural Tourist Attractions

Within the area of cultural attractions new developments in modern technologies have brought changes as to how culture and heritage are presented and interpreted. This has evoked debates whether such sites can still be regarded as authentic. While researchers have investigated these issues on a theoretical basis, the perception and experience of authenticity as well as the use of modern interpretative tools have been treated separately and still lack empirical investigation. Therefore, this study explores the perceptions and experiences of authenticity at cultural attractions where modern technologies are applied. The central research questions are: (1) How can the key concepts of authenticity, multimedia and experience of cultural attractions be brought into an integrated measurable model? (2) What are the determinants of an authentic attraction and an authentic experience? (3) What is the role of multimedia in the visitor experience of a cultural attraction? In order to provide answers to these research questions a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods was applied. In the first stage, focus-group discussions, expert interviews as well as a small scale quantitative study at “Ceol” – The Traditional Irish Music Centre were conducted. Based on these findings and a thorough literature review a Structural Equation Model was developed. This model incorporates visitor satisfaction, site specific attributes (including multimedia and perception of authenticity) and experiential aspects (i.e. experienced object-, personal-, and social authenticity). The model was tested using data from different sites in two different cities. These included The Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, a modern-type attraction in which multimedia constitutes an integral element of the experience, and the Sisi Museum in Vienna, an old established museum where audio-guides are offered. II The findings revealed that object- and personal authenticity proved to be important concepts. However, the role of experienced social authenticity needs further investigation. The results also show that technology does not undermine the authenticity of a site - many visitors prefer to experience an attraction without such tools and in addition the use of an audio-guide did not lead to a higher satisfaction with the site. The suggested model can be regarded as a promising basis for further modelling the visitor experience at cultural attractions

Mind usurps program : virtuality and the “new machine aesthetic” of electronic dance music

This chapter outlines the changes in perceptions of Electronic Dance Music across the phase of the introduction of virtuality. The chapter argues that such music must be read in relation to its conception of its audience, and that the audience, often cognitively impaired, responds to the music in a way that suggests ideological positions that redeem the music from accusations of cliché and racism. The chapter notes early theorising of virtuality as giving rise to the idea or potential of a proletarian collective, as had been realised in rave cultures. Keywords: Virtuality EDM TAZ DJ disco Acid House Rave dancing dystopia The “Guru Register” The Californian Ideology Layo & Bushwacka! (dance group) Orientalism Leftfield (dance group

"They're all going out to something weird": workflow, legacy and metadata in the music production process

In this paper we use results from two ethnographic studies of the music production process to examine some key issues regarding how work is currently accomplished in studio production environments. These issues relate in particular to workflows and how metadata is adapted to the specific needs of specific parts of the process. We find that there can be significant tensions between how reasoning is applied to metadata at different stages of production and that this can lead to overheads where metadata has to be either changed or created anew to make the process work. On the basis of these findings we articulate some of the potential solutions we are now examining. These centre in particular upon the notions of Digital/Dynamic Musical Objects and flexible metadata shells

The artist in the field: investigating tourist performativity and ethnographic methodology through art practice

This research centres on an artistic exploration of ethnographic methodologies whilst investigating tourist performativity and the presentation of self within tourist documentation. Central to this presentation is the performance of the documented smile. The materiality of this research comes from documentary evidence (video, sound, photography, interviews, fieldnotes and diaries) recorded during a fieldtrip around popular tourist destinations in Europe. Data gathering methods, such as participant observation, reflexive writing and informal interviews with tourists, were employed not just to capture the tourist experience of others, but also to explore the multiplicity and variability of the researcher self within the field. The representation of the researcher within the research findings has become one of the issues that this project has sought to address. Two practical outputs, a primary case study entitled Smile: Formaggio con Queso (a randomly configuring computer networked installation) and a secondary case study (an interactive kiosk), interface a database constructed from the field data. Both case studies support research into how ethnographic methods might be used to inform the production processes of an art project, and, additionally, how digital art practice might contribute to the presentation of post-paradigm ethnography. The practical issues of data collecting and the implications of using the self as part of the data source are highlighted. This will be of interest to artists working in field environments where the self and 'other' is synonymous. Furthermore, the primary case study challenges conventional representational ethnographic modes in order to facilitate new kinds of qualitative and ethnographic insights. A reflexive autoethnographic approach to writing the thesis has been utilised to validate my personal narrative as a line of inquiry

Museum, memories and digital stories : A liminal space for human computer interaction.

Objects, material or digital, mediate memories: they act as anchors in between temporal notions and relations of past and present. Through those objects of memory, the act of remembering occurs neither completely relived in the mind, nor fully captured in the medium. Essential to personal memories, objects represent also our collective memory and capture our social history.The papers submitted for this PhD by selected publications look at the design of innovative technology that can make remembering more evocative and affective. They look at both museums, where digital and material are combined in an augmented reality, and personal/family contexts, where the home and mundane objects can be technologically enhanced to encapsulate digital memories.The museum was ideal to experiment with hybrid settings that combine material (the collection and the architectural space) and digital (the information) (papers 1 to 3). Personalization of information was used to augment the reality of rooms and exhibits: whole body interaction (i.e. physical movements in the space) was used to select and personalize the content and engage visitors with both material (the object) and digital (the information). Although the mobile technology is dated, these papers show the value of combining digital and physical to provide a holistic experience that made visitors wonder. Where the fusion occurs, however, is in the digital technology. To balance this perspective, paper 4 looks at the effect of taking the digital content out into the exhibition space. My recent research (papers 5-9) looks at objects of memory in the personal realm, in particular in the family home. Starting from observing the role and function of mementos, I conclude that a more holistic and organic approach has to be taken to make personal digital objects of memory more present in people's life. Materialization can be achieved with digital devices designed for individual and family use, so that the product fits with the mundane aspects of life, is immediate, and stimulates affect, not efficiency.Finally papers 10 and 11 provide evidence of the innovative methodologies I have developed and successfully used in iterative user studies and evaluations across different research projects and many years of research. As a whole this submission shows that there is a huge design space to explore in looking at how technology could be used in public or private spaces to bring together the two aspects of memory: remembering in the mind and capturing through objects, in order to preserve our digital life as tangible interactive objects

An ambient agent model for reading companion robot

Reading is essentially a problem-solving task. Based on what is read, like problem solving, it requires effort, planning, self-monitoring, strategy selection, and reflection. Also, as readers are trying to solve difficult problems, reading materials become more complex, thus demands more effort and challenges cognition. To address this issue, companion robots can be deployed to assist readers in solving difficult reading tasks by making reading process more enjoyable and meaningful. These robots require an ambient agent model, monitoring of a reader’s cognitive demand as it could consist of more complex tasks and dynamic interactions between human and environment. Current cognitive load models are not developed in a form to have reasoning qualities and not integrated into companion robots. Thus, this study has been conducted to develop an ambient agent model of cognitive load and reading performance to be integrated into a reading companion robot. The research activities were based on Design Science Research Process, Agent-Based Modelling, and Ambient Agent Framework. The proposed model was evaluated through a series of verification and validation approaches. The verification process includes equilibria evaluation and automated trace analysis approaches to ensure the model exhibits realistic behaviours and in accordance to related empirical data and literature. On the other hand, validation process that involved human experiment proved that a reading companion robot was able to reduce cognitive load during demanding reading tasks. Moreover, experiments results indicated that the integration of an ambient agent model into a reading companion robot enabled the robot to be perceived as a social, intelligent, useful, and motivational digital side-kick. The study contribution makes it feasible for new endeavours that aim at designing ambient applications based on human’s physical and cognitive process as an ambient agent model of cognitive load and reading performance was developed. Furthermore, it also helps in designing more realistic reading companion robots in the future

Emotion-oriented interventions for environment and the facilitation of pro-environmental behavior

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Ambiente, pela Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências e TecnologiaThis research aimed at studying the facilitating pro-environmental behavior problem by approaching new pro-environmental interventions. The following elements make this study particularly relevant: a) the actual debate concerning the impact of scientific and technological innovations and b) the consideration of new emotional research findings, which stress that emotion is an essential part of information processing. However, the role of emotions is still largely absent from most pro-environmental studies. This situation highlights the importance of conceiving personal and professional initiatives aimed at encouraging reflection and supporting proenvironmental behaviors research while focusing on emotional issues. The study involved an interpretative approach of a qualitative nature, organized in two complementary phases. The first phase evaluated the possible impact of the purposed research. It involved different collaborations and the first experimental research study was implemented as a proof-of-concept approach. In addition, this phase research advanced a new model of proenvironmental behavior and a design framework. The second phase of the study, motivated by the results of the first phase, led to advancing emotion-oriented interventions scenarios and also planning and implementing their evaluation. This initiative showed two technological opportunities to consider for future developments: Affective images rewarding systems using digital material and sensorial feedback tools using non-digital material. The planned qualitative research included questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, panels, observation and the analysis of documents. The results of this study have several implications. Among the most relevant are: a) the potential of combined research methods in investigating individuals conceptions and perceptions about environmental behavior; b) the importance of discussions about new pro-environmental interventions for facilitating pro-environmental behavior; c) the importance of multi-disciplinary research approaches for advancing new technological options; and d) the relevance of considering an emotion-oriented approach.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT/MCTES)- (SFRH/BD/21408/2005

The Other by Itself: Authenticity in electronic dance music in Serbia at the turn of the centuries

Electronic dance music (shortly EDM) in Serbia was an authentic phenomenon of popular culture whose development went hand in hand with a socio-political situation in the country during the 1990s. After the disintegration of Yugoslavia in 1991 to the moment of the official end of communism in 2000, Serbia was experiencing turbulent situations. On one hand, it was one of the most difficult periods in contemporary history of the country. On the other – it was one of the most original. In that period, EDM officially made its entrance upon the stage of popular culture and began shaping the new scene. My explanation sheds light on the fact that a specific space and a particular time allow the authenticity of transposing a certain phenomenon from one context to another. Transposition of worldwide EDM culture in local environment in Serbia resulted in scene development during the 1990s, interesting DJ tracks and live performances. The other authenticity is the concept that led me to research. This concept is mostly inspired by the book “Death of the Image” by philosopher Milorad Belančić, who says that the image today is moved to the level of new screen and digital spaces. The other authenticity offers another interpretation of a work, or an event, while the criterion by which certain phenomena, based on pre-existing material can be noted is to be different, to stand out by their specificity in a new context. The phenomenon/work/event should be evaluated from the perspective of time when is performed, appeared or presented. To prove my thesis I created an argument through four steps. Firstly, I presented main characteristics of the genre and its contextual development from 1991 to 2000. Secondly, EDM was not only considered as a musical phenomenon, but also as a performance. Starting from the architectonics of music flow, I examined the appearance of the tracks in other forms that are also important for the analysis of EDM such as music video and live performance. Each of them focuses on one phenomenon which determines EDM as specific genre: sample, remix and (two metaphors) musical spaces/spatiality in music. Thirdly, EDM parties were considered as multivalent forms in which music is the most important, albeit not the only element. By analysing three select recordings of live parties as performances I found out three aspects that were (re)shaping through them: ritualised performance, re-enactment, and aspect of space. Finally, re-reading analysed examples using the lens of the other authenticity, I found several ways of expressing the other authenticity, e.g. presence of the past and relation to it, symbolic communication with the pre-existing material, the key sound image/the key moment of the performance, etc. Using interdisciplinary approach and developing system of analysis I made a link between ethnomusicology – studies of popular music – performance studies. The model of concentric circles (music–DJ–performers on stage–VJ–audience–space–space-time context), illuminates levels of performance in EDM (with the centre in the same point: in music). The model opens a new perspective for thinking about music-performance not in the relations which are divided as a music and performance, but as a new platform. In that light, EDM becomes transitional phenomenon of popular culture which stresses the importance of understanding the uniqueness between sound/music and performance/theatre