Bridging tangible and intangibleheritage through digital mediaReassessment of the concept of digitalheritage artefact in the exhibition design

Magdalena Laine-Zamojska

Department of Art and Culture StudiesUniversity of Jyväskylä, Finland

magdalena.laine-zamojska@jyu.fiINTROProposal for the main exhibition design for the Jyväskylä University Museum’s Cultural History Section

(Finland). Currently, the main exhibition of the Museum’s Cultural History section is under development

and is scheduled to be open to the public by the end of 2013. The exhibition is planned to be developed as

a research project with the Department of Art and Culture Studies (museology). The approach used focuses

on bridging both tangible and intangible heritage through digital media. One of the main objectives is to

design digital heritage artefacts that can serve the purposes of the new exhibition. The research, design

and implementation facilitate the development of the Museum in the areas of digital heritage

and museology.

THE MODULEThe Module is based on a reassessed concept of digital heritage artefact. Digitalheritage artefact is an “experimental prototype which incorporates digital media and is aimed at improving the gestalt interface, the use qualities, and the conceptual content of interactive displays for use in art and cultural/historical museums” (Gottlieb, 2011). The module: • bridges both tangible and intangible heritage through digital media • can be used in the interactive and evolving exhibition • can be multiplied • is integrated into the Museum’s digital landscape • combines onsite and online exhibition modes • facilitates the process of co-curation and crowdsourcing

The onsite mode of the exhibition (1)

• The modules are located within the exhibition space. • The modules represent to some degree traditional museum vitrines, but they are also digital devices connected to the Internet. • The case consists of several objects: some are on display, some are hidden but can be shown “on demand”. The case gives an opportunity to filter or provide more information on the objects through e.g. multimedia presentations or digital content from other sources, such as Wikipedia. • The modules display both real objects and digital representations (tangible and intangible heritage).

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The visitor in the physical exhibition space (3) • At the entrance to the exhibition space there will be a device used to control the exhibition. • The visitor can use the control device to modify the exhibition according to her expectation. The modules respond and display personalised content: physical and digital artefacts, as well as digital representations. The visitor can get the exhibition "on demand", fully personalised. • The visitors can contribute and add their own contents, tags, comments and so on. • The modules' content is also affected by the activities of the visitors to the online exhibition.

The online/onsite combined through digital media (4) • The proposal is a complex approach towards digital media in a museum. • Both modes affect each other. • The exhibition can be switched off: the online site can be temporarily inactive and the onsite digital devices switched off. • The behaviour of the online/onsite audiences can be monitored and studied. • Appropriate metrics will be proposed to evaluate and continuously develop the exhibition.

The online mode of the exhibition (2) • The exhibits on display are selected during the online campaign by using crowdsourcing and co-curation. • The campaign site can use social media and other forms of social creativity. • The online exhibition consists of the selected digital representations of tangible and intangible heritage. • The online visitors can contribute by producing digital content, selecting and rating the objects that are on display in the onside mode. Their activities affect the content displayed in the onsite mode.

Research, design and implementation (5) • The modules and the exhibition are developed in a collaborative process with professionals from different areas. • The exhibition can be co-curated with the University’s departments to launch long-term collaboration and to develop the Museum into the direction of a science museum. • The exhibition will serve as a lab for students of museology. • The implementation will facilitate the development of the Museum. • The exhibition is developed simultaneously with the Museum’s digital strategy and is its practical implementation.

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University of Jyväskylä, Finland https://www.jyu.fi/

Gottlieb, H. (2011). Designing Engagement for Art. Exploring Interfaces and Interpretive Content of Digital HeritageArtifacts in Museum Environments. Doctoral dissertation. University College Dublin.

Fazer Salmiakki on Facebook [21.11.2012] http://www.facebook.com/fazersalmiakki

Angelit "Ruojain ruoktot" on YouTube, Uploaded by kantelar on 1 May 2009 [21.11.2012] http://youtu.be/3vyDQhTIicY

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