IN-PERSON London Heritages. Section B

Abstract

We increasingly order the world around us in geo-spatial terms, empowered by mobile devices and geo-location, toggling between 2D maps to 3D street views. The potential of these technologies as a means to expand public heritage is only starting to be realized. At the same time Augmented Reality (AR) invites a new approach to the ‘museum without walls’, reuniting cultural heritage – cities, buildings, artworks – across time and space. Drawing from the example of the HistoryCity apps (formerly Hidden Cities, see www.historycityapps.org), developed by the presenters over the past ten years, this paper considers how digital methods are creating new research opportunities, while at the same opening up new ways to engage publics. Spatially determined research questions encourage us to think about how meaning is constructed from the triad of spaces-objects-people, while spatial technologies allow us to shape innovative responses to those questions, ranging from interactive map interfaces to locative interpretation delivered on handheld devices. Meanwhile storytelling strategies allow us to consider multiple perspectives, challenging the canon, and introducing new voices and interpretations of the past into the public square.