Maastricht Meeting 11-12.12.2002

On the Multiple Incarnationsof Cultural Heritage Objects and

Broadband

University of Art and Design Finland, Media Lab

Lily Díaz-Kommonen, diaz@uiah.fiPresented by Professor Philip Dean

pdean@uiah.fi

Outline

• Our context - DEER within eCulture Net

• Broadband’s multidimensional nature

• Case study (Map of Mexico)• A classification model towards

formation of design parameters is proposed

Exchange +

Exchange -

Form

al M

ate

rial

DigitalFacsimile

Massreproduction

HandcraftedReproductions

Stored inarchive

Item at the momentOf ‘discovery’

Exchange +

Exchange -

Form

al M

ate

rial

DigitalFacsimile

Massreproduction

HandcraftedReproductions

Stored inarchive

Item at the momentOf ‘discovery’

World of specialised knowledge production and consumption

• Artificial context for physical item. (e.g. removed from its natural life-cycle.)

• Low consumption level- Item use is narrow and limited- Item is not available on channels of distribution

• User in community of specialists- Item exists in a discoursive realm and as an entity

of discourse for specialized knowledge production.

Exchange +

Exchange -

Form

al M

ate

rial

DigitalFacsimile

Massreproduction

HandcraftedReproductions

Stored inarchive

Item at the momentOf ‘discovery’

Material world of specialised knowledge consumption and production• Physical item exists as direct copy, or handcrafted

object.

• The representation is the object

• Low consumption level- Item use is narrow and limited- Item is not available on channels of distribution

• User as community of specialists- Item exists in a discoursive realm and as an entity

of discourse for specialized knowledge production.

Exchange +

Exchange -

Form

al M

ate

rial

DigitalFacsimile

Massreproduction

HandcraftedReproductions

Stored inarchive

Item at the momentOf ‘discovery’

Material world of mass consumption and production

‘Mass produced cultural heritage object’

• Physical item exists as indirect copy.

•The representation is the object

• High consumption level- Item use is wide and multipurpose (e.g. education, tourism,

advertising, marketing.)- Item is available on channels of distribution, such as

catalogues, websites

• User as the general public- Item exists in different discoursive realms and can be seen

as being many different things for different people.

Exchange +

Exchange -

Form

al M

ate

rial

DigitalFacsimile

Massreproduction

HandcraftedReproductions

Stored inarchive

Item at the momentOf ‘discovery’

Virtual world of mass consumption and production

‘The Virtual cultural heritage object’.

• Physical item exists as digital replica.

• Context is flexible/malleable.

• The representation is not the object.

• Potentially high consumption and distribution.

• Users as diverse community of specialists.

Conclusions

What can be the components of the interface for the DEER?

• Given the multidimensional nature of broadband, it is important to begin the discussion by considering how and why different communities of users create and consume objects of knowledge such as cultural heritage objects.

• It is important to try to understand the environment in which these knowledge objects are produce and consumed, as well as the motivations behind these processes.

• One way to do this is to consider the constraints placed from the point of view already existing in networks of distribution and exchange.

• A classification that allows us to formulate design parameters is proposed. This classification is not meant to operate as a rigid grid but rather, as a working tool that may help us to apprehend the shifting epistemological boundaries of cultural heritage objects.