(IN)TANGIBLE HERITAGE(S)
Abstract
In line with technological advancements, cultural heritage is also seeing an increase in the integration with digital media in various forms that mediate their principle and usage. Projection mappings are causing spaciotemporal transformations at heritage sites. Examples of projection mappings at heritage sites extend from enchanted garden experiences to reinforcing dynamic visualisation on historic castles and abbeys, which create new, digitally enhanced environments. In this paper we discuss the consequences of spaciotemporal transformations of cultural heritage as a result of digital media projection mappings. We examine the cultural impact of digital media on heritage consumption and audiences’ ability to make sense of heritage sites (Dameria et al. 2020) and the places they occupy. We discuss the social, geographical and cultural dynamics of making sense of place, and explores how digital media simulations can modify audiences’ sense of the space. We observe alternating heritage facades with digital media platforms and discusses its implication on how differently the audience can make sense of their surrounding environment depending on the mediated content. On the one hand, we take examples of projection mappings (Lovell and Griffin 2019) that reveal or elaborate architectural forms and styles; thus engage the audience with architecture styles differently through dynamic visualisations in abstract forms or narrated stories. On the other hand, we look at anamorphic media design that stimulate fantasy scenes in the real-world context to observe the consequences of media on making sense of our surroundings. We discuss these concepts by reflecting on projection mappings on heritage sites such as Durham Cathedral or monuments in within the Historic Site of Lyon.
Ayda Majd Ardekani is a PhD researcher at the University of Kent. She has a BA in Fine Art and an MSc in Digital Visual Effects. Her art practice focuses on the implications of digital technologies on everyday human lives. She explores the impact of human-computer interaction on shaping everyday narratives such as communication influenced by technology, living in (un)mediated environments and making sense of place. At present, her research focuses on the implications of digital media on audience experiences at heritage sites. She has worked closely with English Heritage where she organised light shows at St Augustine’s Abbey to display digital reconstructions of the historic Abbey in the form of projections and investigate the impact of site-specific visualisations on audience experiences and heritage consumption.
Rocio von Jungenfeld is a creative practitioner and media researcher at the University of Kent, working in embodied perception and how media art and technology alter human-non-human interactions in environments. Her creative practice involves collaborative, interdisciplinary, and participatory media production; hybrid/immersive installation environments; outdoor-mobile projections; interaction design; and media art in public space.
Sophia Labadi is Professor of Heritage at the University of Kent in the UK. She also holds a Leadership Fellowship (2019-2021) from the Arts and Humanities Research Council in the UK. Much of Professor Labadi’s research focuses on how heritage sites and museums can address some of the most pressing global challenges, including social justice, gender equality or sustainable development. Her research is nourished by her experiences as consultant for international organisations and governments. Professor Labadi is the author of Heritage and Globalisation (co-edited with Colin Long, Routledge, 2010), UNESCO, Cultural Heritage and Outstanding Universal Value (AltaMira Press, 2012); Urban Heritage, Development and Sustainability (co-edited with Bill Logan, Routledge 2015) and The Cultural Turn in International Aid (Routledge, 2019).
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Wednesday 15th June, 2022