Playful Public Connectivity

The MIT Press eBooks, 2007

Papers presented at the conference in Tartu, 14

2021

Barranha, H. and Henriques, J. S. (eds.) (2021). Art, Museums and Digital Cultures – Rethinking Change. Lisbon: IHA/NOVA FCSH and maat. DOI: 10.34619/hwfg-s9yy [EN] Following the International Conference on Art, Museums and Digital Cultures (April 2021), this e-book seeks to extend the discussion on the concept of change that is usually associated with the relationship between culture and technology. Through the contributions of 32 authors from 12 countries, the book not only questions how digital media have inspired new artistic and curatorial practices, but also how, conversely, critical and creative proposals in the fields of art and museums have opened up alternative paths to technological development. Acknowledging the different approaches to the topic, ranging from retrospective readings to the analysis of recent issues and projects, the book is divided into seven sections and a visual essay, highlighting collaborative territories and the crossovers between different areas of scientific knowledge. Available in open access, this publication is the result of a collaborative project promoted by the Institute of Art History of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities, NOVA University of Lisbon and maat – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology. Partner institution: Instituto Superior Técnico. Sponsor: Millennium bcp Foundation. Media partner: Umbigo magazine. [PT] No seguimento da Conferência Internacional sobre Arte, Museus e Culturas Digitais (Abril 2021), este e-book pretende aprofundar a discussão sobre o conceito de mudança, geralmente associado à relação entre cultura e tecnologia. Através dos contributos de 32 autores, de 12 países, questiona-se não só a forma como o digital tem motivado novas práticas artísticas e curatoriais, mas também o inverso, observando como propostas críticas e criativas no campo da arte e dos museus têm aberto vias alternativas para o desenvolvimento tecnológico. Assumindo a diversidade de perspectivas sobre o tema, de leituras retrospectivas à análise de questões e projectos recentes, o livro estrutura-se em torno de sete capítulos e um ensaio visual, evidenciando os territórios de colaboração e cruzamento entre diferentes áreas de conhecimento científico. Disponível em acesso aberto, esta publicação resulta de um projecto colaborativo promovido pelo Instituto de História da Arte, Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa e pelo maat - Museu de Arte, Arquitectura e Tecnologia. Instituição parceira: Instituto Superior Técnico. Mecenas: Fundação Millennium bcp. Media partner: revista Umbigo.

Arte Pública na Era da Criatividade Digital. Atas do Colóquio Internacional, 2017

New supports, technical means, production methods and presentation spaces have contributed to an enlargement of the range of possibilities regarding artistic creation. They no longer just dilute and complicate frontiers between artistic disciplines. They now help to problematize and question the artist’s status, redefining what, in that context, can be considered an artwork, questioning what the contribute of the public – a public eager for experiencing the amazing world of techno-magnificence – can be regarding the foundations and paths of art itself. Technological mutations and cultural uses which have been conditioning artistic creation demand, therefore, a systematic, broad and crossed thinking enhanced by reflections and practices originating from distinct modalities of artistic creation and consolidated through different fields of scientific research. Structurally oriented towards undertaking that wide crossroad, CITAR calls upon itself the initiative of promoting a broad discussion on the Public Art phenomenon, considered by Javier Maderuelo as “the one that characterizes best the manifestations of the last third of the 20th century”, although acknowledging that “neither historical, nor critical articles […] seem to mind this importance” (Maderuelo 2000, 240). Aware of the complexity of the theme, but certain about the benefits of the crossing of perspectives which it congregates, the International Conference Public Art in the Digital Creativity Era aims at debating the questions concerning artistic creation and its public reception and interaction, bringing together researchers, artists and experts pursuing the following objectives: - seek and elucidate the contemporary frame of artistic creation, discussing the changes introduced by digital culture and open possibilities; - reflect upon and debate the questions regarding the conservation of art pieces within the public space, regardless of their chronology and their material and formal nature; - discuss the problematics regarding the relationship between art, memory and heritage, bearing in mind the social and communitarian bonds inherent to every artistic project, regardless of its nature. The International Conference Public Art in the Digital Creativity Era is, therefore, composed of wide thematic areas, each of which may be addressed from different perspectives: - artistic creation - critical discourse - historical study - theoretic reflection.

Information, Communication & Society, 2011

“Heritage is not an artifact or site, it is a medium of communication [...] that includes the material, the intangible and the virtual.” (Ashworth, 2007) The intangibility of the internet and the developing digital heritage may compromise the tangible experience of the visitor by the virtual replacement of the original artifact. Nonetheless, there will be an opportunity to gain new interpretation in heritage preservation. However, the physical assets that compromise our tangible experiences of the historic environment are by definition non sustainable over the long term (Cowell, 2010). This paper will argue that the traditional interpretation of heritage has not diminished, but taken a new form of interpretation. There is a need for museums to maintain a link between themselves and the digital technology if it is to maintain and attract new generation of individuals, whilst still keeping its traditional values. This paper will list three key points, the tangibility of the internet experience; participation and preservation and the stereotype of the narrative. We are now in a digital age, increasingly reliant on technology. In 2013, 36 million adults (73%) in Great Britain accessed the internet every day (Office for National Statistics, 2013). The opportunistic value of digital heritage brings a new form of participation. In this instance, by adapting to this digital form, the objects that are exhibited online result in a new form of interpretation and engagement by the individual. By engaging in this new form of digital heritage, we, as a society, receive a difference of perspective in comparison to engaging with exhibits first hand. Over the past couple of decades, digitally created content has come to permeate all aspects of our lives and the life cycle of these objects is increasingly exclusively digital (Semantic Digital Archives, 2014). This new form of experience is an exchange in the enthusiasm of encountering exhibits first hand. Museums have adapted to this virtual form as this new age of learning is the only consistent way of preserving the past. The Institute of Conservation (ICONS) confirms that as a medium for public debates about heritage, the Web has both advantages and disadvantages, such as creating opportunities for participation and multivocality, but it is accompanied by the risk of producing fragmentation and a cacophony of viewpoints (Mason & Baveystock, 2009). Along with other institutions, the museum is no doubt the ideal place where one can imagine the creation of this "alternative heritage" especially when the original installation cannot be preserved (Barblan, 2007: 10). This matter of sustainability including the pervasiveness of digital data and documents has major consequences for this obsession with memory (Habert & Huc, 2010). Especially when one can argue that the main purpose of digital conservation of these artifacts is for that exact purpose. As a result of this, there is a risk of fragmentation in organisations. The ambiguity and fragmentation implied in modern distributed organisation is being increased even further by the growing use of modern digital technologies (Lorezo, 2010: 343). Therefore, the question of sustainability, in regards to digital archiving becomes apparent. Will digital archiving replace the original artifacts in its present form? Not entirely, unless improved ways of preservation are imposed, otherwise the artifacts will follow nature of physical decay at an increased pace. The variations of risk of these artifacts, range from those associated with neglect or unchecked physical decay (Cowell, 2010:34). Why adapt to this ‘new age of learning’, is it a need for the museums to update, itself? Museums have previously been associated as being boring, rather than lively, thriving and exciting (Davies, 1994), which is primarily the reason museums are following the ‘trend’. There has previously been a need to develop a new form of interpreting the artifacts as part of the establishment. As Garcia-Lorezo (2010) states: “The process of telling stories has always been mediated by technology [...] allowing us to reach new levels of innovation, creativity and personal development (p. 331). This new form of heritage, whereby the traditional values of museums, to educate and inform, is still being fulfilled whilst still maintaining its role as the main source of narrative. According to Dalbello (2011), the study of the role of digital tools in the transformation of writing, thinking, and teaching in humanistic fields is within the purview of ‘digital humanities’ (2011: 480). Whereas Kushla-Hulme and Traxler (2007) state that mobile technologies are particularly suited for supporting personalised, situated, authentic and informal learning (2007: 181). As an advantage, by updating itself as an establishment, museums are able to attract a new generation of audiences who have adopted this intangible form of digital heritage. As a result, a new form of engagement from the audience is created and a common bond is established with the digital generation (Mann, et al., 2013) With many museums currently working on the development of Digital Strategies, setting out how they will use digital technologies and channels to engage with audiences, share their collections and potentially open up new sources of income. (Collections Trust, 2012). The new practices of collection, interpretation and dissemination are required in order to show how history and heritage can be used to rethink the way in which people can approach future difficulties (Tait, et al., 2013; DeSilvey, 2012). As for the traditionalist, with these new practices the lack of contact time and the lack of experiencing objects for the first time is a detriment to the individual, as the original asset is not interpreted. In conclusion, heritage has a longer sustainability if it converts its artifacts digitally. Through this new age of learning, the museum has the ability to produce a narrative through a new form of digital heritage. Significantly, museums are not just for visitors who enter the door; they are also for the new generation of technologically adapt audiences who research mainly through the medium of internet. Through this medium, the museum is able to reach a wider-audience. The advantage of online archives as a source enables the artifacts to be preserved in its original state with no fear of physical decay. However, there is neither a back-up nor a guarantee that the survival of these archives if both the physical and the online artifacts have been damaged either through physical decay or technological fault. Bibliography Ashworth, G., 2007. 'On townscapes, heritages and identities', paper presented at Institute for Advanced Studies Colloquium on Urban-Rural: Flows and Boundaries, Lancaster University. [Online] Available at: www.lancs.ac.uk/ias/annualprogramme/regionalism/docs/Ashworth_paper.doc [Accessed 27 November 2014]. Barblan, M. A., 2007. Engineering Works and Scaled-down Models Or Industry Laid Bare. In: H. K. Vieregg, ed. Museology and Techniques Muséologie – Les techniques au Musée Museología y Tecnologías. Munich: ICOFOM. Collections Trust, 2012. Digital Strategy. [Online] Available at: http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/digital-strategy [Accessed 30 October 2014]. Cowell, B., 2010. Why Heritage Counts: Researching the Historic Environment. Culture Trends, 13(4), pp. 23-39. Dalbello, M., 2011. A geneaology of digital humanities. Journal of Documentation, 67(3), pp. 480-506. Davies, S., 1994. By popular demand. London: MGC. DeSilvey, C., 2012. Making sense of transience: an anticipatory history. Cultural Geographies, 19(1), pp. 31-54. Habert, B. & Huc, C., 2010. Building together digital archives for researc in social sciences and humanities. [Online] Available at: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00466352 [Accessed 20 November 2014]. Holmes, K. & Slater, A., 2012. Patterns of Voluntary Participation in Membership Associations: A Study of UK Heritage Supporter Groups. Nonprofit and Volutary Sector, 41(5), pp. 850-869. Kushla-Hulme, A. & Traxler, J., 2007. Designing for mobile and wireless learning. In: H. Beetham & R. Sharpe, eds. Rethinnking Pedagogy for a digital age: Designing and delivering e-learning. London: Routledge. Lorezo, L. G., 2010. Framing Uncertainty: narratives, change and digital technologies. Social Science Information, 49(3), pp. 329-350. Mann, S., Moses, J. & Fisher, M., 2013. Catching Our Breath: Assessing Digital Technologies for Meaningful Visitor Engagement. [Online] Available at: http://name-aam.org [Accessed 20 November 2014]. Mason, R. & Baveystock, Z., 2009. What role can digital heritage play in the re-imagining of national identities? England and its icons. In: M. Anico & E. Peralta, eds. Heritage and Identity: Engagement and Demission in the Contemporary World. New York: Routledge, pp. 15-28. Mason, R. & Baveystock, Z., 2009. What role can digital heritage play in the re-imagining of national identities?: England and its icons. In: M. Anico & E. Peralta, eds. Heritage and Identity: Engagement and Demission in the Contemporary World. New York: Routledge, pp. 15-28. Office for National Statistics, 2013. Statistical Bulletin: Internet Access - Households and Individuals, 2013. [Online] Available at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_322713.pdf [Accessed 30 October 2014]. Semantic Digital Archives, 2014. SDA Workshop Information. [Online] Available at: http://sda2014.dke-research.de/ [Accessed 30 October 2014]. Tait, E. et al., 2013. Linking to the past: an analysis of community digital heritage initiatives. Aslib Proceedings, 65(6), pp. 564-580.

This half-day Symposium explores themes of digital art, culture, and heritage, bringing together speakers from a range of disciplines to consider technology with respect to artistic and academic practice. As we increasingly see ourselves and life through a digital lens and the world communicated on digital screens, we experience altered states of being and consciousness in ways that blur the lines between digital and physical reality, while our ways of thinking and seeing become a digital stream of consciousness that flows between place and cyberspace. We have entered the postdigital world and are living, working, and thinking with machines as our computational culture driven by artificial intelligence and machine learning embeds itself in everyday life and threads across art, culture, and heritage, juxtaposing them in the digital profusion of human creativity on the Internet.

Transforming Culture in the Digital Age, pp. 187-193, 2010

Report of the EU H2020 Research Projects, 2022

The Culturalisation Workshops presented in this document, build on the exhibitions and events produced to launch Artsformation. Their aim is to expand the areas of critical enquiry established at the launch, with a focus on refining key questions for future productions through an engagement of artists and a broader creative community, institutional and civil society stake- holders and audiences. Each of the partners -Waag, transmediale and FACT- developed programmes bespoke to their contexts: workshops and discussions that were part of the festival of Expedition: Future at Waag, transmediale’s summer camp and Framework for Trust at FACT. These individual programmes coalesced for the Transformer Summit, which offered a shared day of discussions and provocations themed around questions of Control, Refusal, Trust and Care. These four concepts have emerged to form the backbone of the work package partners’ approach to examining the central thematics of Artsformation and the role of digital technologies in perpetuating cultures of surveillance (Control), a crisis in democracy (Refusal) and new ways of working (founded through rebuilding of Trust and a prioritisation of Care).