Digital Approaches in Media Heritage

Within the domains of cultural heritage and education, virtual reality and 3D applications have been increasingly used to present media heritage and historical knowledge. The digitization of originally analogue-based media collections has stimulated new digital forms of storytelling and presentation, for instance in the so-called ‘virtual museum’ and ‘virtual classroom’. One of the challenges that remains, however, is how to present digitized media historical collections and technological objects in such a way that their sensorial and material qualities, functionality and historicity are preserved. What role can virtual reality and 3D applications play within the domains of cultural heritage and higher education to ‘sense the past’ in virtual yet multisensorial ways? This PhD project combines experimental media archaeology as media historiographical approach with digital approaches to media heritage collections. The aim of the project is to utilize the heuristic potential of using virtual representations, like 3D models, replicas and simulations of media historical objects, for the production of innovative forms of digital storytelling and for the dissemination of media historical knowledge in the domains of cultural heritage and higher education.