Chairs: Giorgio VERDIANI, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy | Willem BEEX, BEEX ICT solutions for Cultural Heritage, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Description of the session: In recent years the way of visiting museums, archaeological sites, and historical places has changed. The often heralded “integration” of digital media and the physical world has become more and more part of these Cultural Experiences. Even a place with an enormous artistic and historical value, cannot exclude itself from the need of finding a solution for the smooth integration of digital information (VR/AR) with the traditional methods of presenting CH. This is due to the abundance of smart and personal devices, enabling everyone to retrieve information whenever data access is possible.
At the same time, this is a way “to push the distant past into the present” explaining complex concepts with fascinating technology. The use of the right tools can bring the understanding of CH a major step forward, but the optimal use of these new techniques is still an ongoing process. The quality of the content is a matter of concern, as are practical and sustainable solutions. It is very necessary to share experiences, and to define common characteristics and best practices.
At the same time, the search for these new visions should not rule out previous solutions, which can be seen as potential references and/or basis for new developments. In this way combining new and old techniques to augment the perception of CH can be one of the pathways to Innovation.
In this session, a fast presentation will be used based on 6 slides in 6 minutes. This allows all interested scholars to quickly share their views on “Visual Experiences”. The intention is to discuss a new perception of CH for the general public, describing subjects, challenges, solutions and lessons learned. A major part of the session is reserved for an extended exchange of ideas and experiences with all the participants and the audience.

Target group: All professionals and experts involved in the presentation of Cultural Heritage for the general Public.