How can Europe’s rich cultural heritage be transferred in the digital era? And how can we ensure that future generations can still enjoy art? The RSA FG sets several activities that can bring our cultural heritage into the new era.
Europe is known for its rich cultural heritage, which is inextricably linked to European history, shared values and cultural diversity. But this cultural heritage must also be preserved in the future: As EU Commissioner Thierry Breton explains, it is necessary to “help ensure that our European heritage is fully embedded in the digital decade.”
To this end, the European Commission has published a Recommendation on a common European data space for cultural heritage. The aim is to accelerate and support the digital transformation of cultural assets in the fields of education, tourism and cultural and creative industries. Technologies such as artificial intelligence, data science, big data and augmented or extended reality (AR/XR) will be used to preserve Europe’s cultural heritage in the long term.
Immersive and interactive: experiencing art in a new way
The RSA FG is currently working on several initiatives that seek to bring art into the digital age. Outputs from these initiatives will, for example, make it easier for the cultural sector to take advantage of immersive technologies: This is being done by introducing a novel ecosystem of methods and tools that removes the barriers that currently hinder collaboration between cultural institutions and creative companies. This will enable new forms of immersive storytelling and product innovation.
In an already completed collaboration with the University Mozarteum Salzburg, RSA FG developed Mozart Contained!, an interactive musical experience that takes Mozart’s music out of concert halls and packs it into containers. When one enters the container through a light barrier, four light sculptures appear representing the four voices of Mozart’s Dissonance Quartet (KV 465). The music is driven by the presence and interaction in the space: Approaching each of the sculptures activates soundtracks that make the voices of the quartet resound. Mozart can thus also be experienced visually in a new way.
Preserve the cultural heritage
Preserving Europe’s cultural heritage is our responsibility to future generations. In a digital age, it also depends on building and using technological innovations to enable as many people as possible to enjoy this cultural heritage today and in the future.