Digital meets Culture

The new release is available to download from the PREFORMA Open Source Portal

DPF Manager v3.3 released and available to download

We present a new update of the DPF Manager. This new version can be downloaded as usual from the PREFORMA Open Source Portal.

This new version includes several improvements and fixes. One of the most interesting new features is the Statistics Module. This new section reports the most usual tags found in the analyzed files, as well as their values. Also from the ISOs validated, it is shown the errors that have been found ordered by frequency.

The rest of the enhancements and bugfixes of this new release are listed below.

Improved reports section efficiency.
Filter unreadable tags in reports.
Fixed some errors related with the metadata fixer.
Added default configuration to periodical checks definition.

In the next release, we plan to create a benchmarking tool where the DPF Manager will be compared with other well-known TIFF validators such as Jhove and Jhove2.

Don’t forget to give us feedback to continue improving the project!

London (UK); 11-17 July 2017 with pre-event symposyum on 10th July

EVA London 2017: conference, exhibitions, a research workshop and numerous of demonstration sessions

Held annually in July, EVA London is one of the international Electronic Visualisation & the Arts conferences. The first EVA conference was held in 1990, with the intention to create a space for people using or interested in the new technologies to share their experiences and network in a friendly, collaborative atmosphere. EVA London’s focus is on the development and application of visualisation technologies to various domains, including art, music, dance, theatre and the sciences.

EVA London 2017 is held on 11-17 July 2017 with a preliminary event on the 10th July, and:

has a focus on visualisation for the arts and culture – interpreted broadly to include its implications, effects, and consequent strategies and policies
covers the burgeoning creative uses of digital media for works of art and creative productions
is a networking event for groups and projects, including European projects and groups
includes a free-of-charge Research Workshop for MA, MSc and PhD students and others, to share their research in a friendly and informal setting
is inspiring and informative, collaborative and friendly

Website and full programme: http://www.eva-london.org/eva-london-2017/programme/

EVA London’s Conference themes 2017 include:

Digital Art
Data, Scientific and Creative Visualisation
Digitally Enhanced Reality and Everyware
2D and 3D Imaging, Display and Printing
Mobile Applications
Museums and Collections
Music, Performing arts, and Technologies
Open Source and Technologies
Preservation of Digital Visual Culture
Virtual Cultural Heritage
Virtual Worlds and Video Game Art

an innovative program focuses on the ways in which museums use digital technology and media to enhance services, collections and user engagement

Pratt Institute School of Information in NY – Master of Science Museums and Digital Culture

The Master of Science in Museums and Digital Culture (MDC) of the Pratt Institute in NY (School of Information) is an innovative program that breaks new ground as the first museum master’s degree designed for the digital world, advancing the concept of a museum studies program. The program focuses on the ways in which museums use digital technology and media to enhance services and collections and engage with visitors across physical and virtual contexts.

The program features partnerships and fellowships with NYC’s leading museums the MDC program prepares students with the knowledge and digital skills for careers in today’s information-and-technology-rich museum environments. Through structured practicums and field research, students develop into innovative and creative leaders in the museum field.

This cutting-edge program designed for the 21st century museum in the digital age is an innovative museum studies program that focuses on the digital life of museums across collections, galleries and activities, preparing graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary for careers in this rapidly changing field, and the ability to engage and interact with today’s diverse and connected global audiences.

The curriculum builds on commonalities of knowledge and skills across GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) and addresses emerging areas of the museum field including digital information behavior, digital seeing and aesthetics, digital curation, and the integration of the physical and digital life of the museum, so that:

Students learn from expert faculty about key areas of study including visitor engagement, user experience, digital curation and preservation.
Students gain skills and knowledge in all aspects of digital technology use across the museum sector, physical and digital, real and virtual.
Graduates are prepared to take on leadership roles as museum professionals who can meet the challenges of museums in our digital world.

More information and contacts: https://www.pratt.edu/academics/information/degrees/museums-and-digital-culture-ms/

The new event by The Trampery and Barbican Centre will deal with the possibility to speculate on space and its construction with technological tools.

IM052017: Speculative Societies

Thursday, 25th May 2017

7 – 9:30pm at The Trampery Republic

A previous edition of Interfaces Monthly (IM092016: ‘A Matter of Materiality’) explored the spatial politics of materiality and immateriality. As an extension of this, IM052017: Speculative Societies will deal with the possibility to speculate on space and its construction with technological tools. Both individual logics and collective experience are affected by how we build, and intend to build, the world around us. Through biopolitical and architectural concerns, practitioners propose alternative narratives that encourage us to critique our lived realities, offer ideas for reform and imagine societies beyond our time. How can we use art and technology to invite a deeper look at the social interactions that underpin community formation?

Max Colson is a London-based artist using photography and moving image to explore urban architecture and land development strategies. ‘Virtual Control: Security and the Urban Imagination’, his first solo exhibition, was hosted at the Royal Institute of British Architects (2015). His work has been featured in a range of publications across architecture, design and photography, including Icon (2015), Architecture Today (2015) and Hotshoe International (2013). He has exhibited in group shows across Europe including Showroom MAMA in Rotterdam (2016), Nooderlicht Photogallery in Groningen (2015) and C/O Berlin (2014). Formerly he was a Leverhulme artist in residence at UCL Urban Laboratory (2014-2015). He is currently an artist in residence at Arebyte Gallery in Hackney Wick, conducting research for a show in November 2017. He teaches on the MA Graphic Communication Design at Central Saint Martins, London.

Ling Tan is a designer, maker and software developer interested in how people interact with the built environment and wearable. Trained as an architect, she enjoys building physical machines and prototypes ranging from urban scale to wearable scale to explore different modes of interaction between people and their surrounding spaces. She is currently working at Umbrellium in London to understand social wearables through community participation, where she created WearON, and open source prototyping platform for wearables. She hosts wearable workshops to encourage people with limited coding skills to go beyond the boundary of what they perceive to be doable with their given skillsets. She has worked with museums such as Wits Art Museum, South Africa and Watermans Art Centre, UK. Her works have been exhiited in shows such as Utopian Bodies: Fashion Looks Forward (2015) and features in magazines and websites across the globe such as Dezeen, Wired and Fast Company.

Iain Ball is an Artist. His work explores speculative (both real and imagined) scenarios pertaining to weird cultural transformations which have manifest as the result of sudden spurts of rapid technological change and stewed within periods of stagnation and lament. His largely sculptural practice considers how interfaces, networks, environments, disruptive technologies and complex systems power-up and energise Art objects in new and strange ways. Recent solo shows include ‘Praseodymium’ at Cell Project Space, London UK (2016) and ‘ENERGY PANGEA + GOCH live’ at Future Gallery, Berlin (2015). His work has been featured in Art Monthly, The post internet Survival Guide, Rare Earth Exhibition Catalogue, and Sleep Magazine. He has an MFA in Sculpturefrom the Slade School of Fine Art (2015).

Valinia Svoronou is an artist based in London and Athens. She works across different forms of media including video, sculpture, poetry, textual and installation work in order to explore fiction in terms of tropes, means and affective modes of presenting narrative within charged geotechnological landscapes which have existed in the past, present or are part of a speculative future. Recent shows include ‘The glow pt 2, gravity regimes’, a solo exhibition in Berlin curated by Rachel Walker, at Frankfurt am Main, ‘The Equilibrists’, a group show co-organised by the New Museum and the Deste Foundation, Athens. Her work has also been shown at the Showroom Gallery and Assembly Point among other spaces in London. Her work has been featured in Berlin Art Link, Frieze, DIS magazine and Vice. She has an MFA in Sculpture from the Slade School of Fine Art (2015).

LOCATION:

The Trampery Republic

9th Floor, Anchorage House

2 Clove Crescent

London

E14 2BE

United Kingdom

REGISTRATION REQUIRED via eventbrite

Venice (Italy), 22-23 May 2017

Fashion Digital Memories, symposium

The expression ‘Fashion heritage’ refers to a heterogeneous group of objects, different in nature and meaning. Lately, a general interest towards museum collections and archival materials related especially to fashion has been rising, demanding for access to this incredibly rich field of knowledge. It is the very variety of the ‘traces’ fashion leaves behind – not only clothes, but accessories, textiles, plates and magazines, sketches and photographs – that requires a reflection on what kind of technologies are better suited and how to apply them in order to preserve, disseminate and exploit these materials in all their potential.

The symposium gathers some of the most interesting case studies shaping their own practices in between the more traditional museum or archival practices with the new possibilities allowed by technology. These experiences nuance the relationship between fashion heritage and digital technologies. In presenting them all together, the symposium wants to tackle a variety of issues, concerning innovative techniques developed to update consolidated museum and archival practices, as conservation and traditional studies of material culture; reflections on how to incorporate technology in the conceptual and material development of displays and exhibitions; actions aimed at presenting fashion heritage to a wider – and often unspecialised – audience in appealing ways, exploiting the potential of social media and experimental platforms.

Invitation (PDF, 203 Kb)

Programme (PDF, 408 KB)

The opening keynote speaker will be Timothy Long, curator of Fashion and Decorative Arts at the Museum of London, who will describe how fashion heritage and technology intertwine in his own practice, crossing the realms of preservation, display and communication, and introducing the three main areas explored by the conference. The closing keynote speech will be given by Professor José Teunissen, Dean of the School of Design and Technology at London College of Fashion, whose practice as curator and educator bridges the gap between diverse territories, constantly challenging the boundaries of the relation between fashion and technology.
Speakers will also include Sarah Scaturro, Head Conservator at The Costume Institute, The Metropolitan Museum of Arts, in New York, Dr. Kate Bethune, Director’s Researcher at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and Karen Van Godtsenhoven, Curator of Fashion at MoMu ModeMuseum Provincie Antwerpen.

Abstracts and bio (PDF, 393 Kb)

The symposium is organised by the Europeana Fashion International Association in collaboration with Università IUAV di Venezia and The New School – Parsons Paris. The event is co-funded by the European Commission within the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Programme.

Monday 22 May 2017, 14:00-17:30 – Tuesday 23 May 2017, 09:30-13:00

Aula Tafuri, Palazzo Badoer – Università IUAV di Venezia
San Polo (Calle de la Laca) 2468
30125 Venice

The event is free, registration is required. Register here:
https://europeanafashion2017.eventbrite.co.uk

About Europeana Fashion International Association
The Europeana Fashion International Association is a non-profit organisation established in order to bring together and engage fashion institutions (both GLAMs – Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums – and the creative industry) in the valorisation and exploitation of fashion heritage online.
One of the main objectives of the Association is to maintain and enrich the Europeana Fashion aggregator, through which more than one million fashion objects can be accessed, shared and promoted on-line, and that brings together more than 35 public and private archives and museums, coming from 13 European countries, in order to collect and give free access to high quality digital fashion content, ranging from historical dresses to accessories, catwalk photographs, drawings, sketches, videos, and fashion
catalogues.
Info: communication @ europeanafashion.eu

Follow Europeana Fashion:
Website www.europeanafashion.eu
Instagram europeanafashionofficial
Twitter @eurfashion
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanaFashion/

Multimedia app shows „Snow White“ and plays Estonian film music in the National Library in Tallinn

Pop-Up Museum supports a new exhibition at the Estonian National Library

On 2 May 2017 the National Library of Estonia launched a MuPoP exhibition in the Library’s foyer. The exhibition introduces one book illustration stored in the National Library together with famous film tunes, creating a nostalgic but also educating effect. The exhibition app was prepared by the Amsterdam-based company Noterik which specialises in multimedia apps. The technology of the Pop-Up Museum was developed in the framework of E-Space EU-funded project (2014-2017), of which the Estonian Ministry of Culture (EVK) was a prominent partner too.

The app introduces one original illustration to „Snow White“ by the renowned Estonian illustrator Siima Škop, accompanied by Estonian film music. Each tune has been matched with the characters and objects on the illustration. The app enables to introduce to the younger generations the beautiful film music written by Estonian composers for well-kown films („Karoliine hõbelõng“, „Nipernaadi“, „Mehed ei nuta“, „Siin me oleme“, „Hukkunud Alpinisti hotell“, „Nukitsamees“, „Kevade“, etc.).

The National Library’s digital archive DIGAR enables to browse through many other book illustrations, and all are welcome to the Art and Music Reading Rooms on floor 8 of the National Library to discover the original illustrations and sound recordings from the Library’s collections.

The exhibition was prepared by Rena Tüür and Katre Riisalu from the Fine Arts Information Centre, and it celebrates the Year of Children’s and Youth Culture. The original illustrations by Siima Škop to „The Sleeping Beauty“ can be seen in the reading area on floor 5 until 31 May.

Additional info:

Contact at Estonian National Library:

Ave Tölpt, Head of Exhibitions, Ave.Toelpt @ nlib.ee
Katre Riisalu, Head of Fine Arts Information Centre, Katre.Riisalu @ nlib.ee
Terje Talv, Marketing and Communications Manager, Terje.Talv @ nlib.ee

On the occasion of the launch event of Europeana Photography, the new online platform about early photography, a station with the Pop-Up Museum was set up for trying the Man Meets World exhibition

“Man Meets World”, Pop-Up Museum exhibition in Pisa, 20th May 2017

One of the virtual interactive exhibitions about Belle Epoque, which are curated by KU Leuven and powered with the MuPop (the Pop-Up Museum tool developed in 2016 within E-Space project) was on show in Pisa on 20th May.

On the occasion of the launch of Europeana Photography – the new online platform about early photography curated by PHOTOCONSORTIUM and Europeana – a sparkling event was organized in Pisa, at the premises of Museum of Graphics during the European Night of Museums.

The Europeana Photography launch event in Pisa included presentations by international speakers and a live demo of the online platform; as an added value for the attendees and all the Museum’s visitors, a station with the Pop-Up Museum was set up for trying the Man Meets World exhibition.

The MuPop multiscreen technology allows any smartphone or mobile device to ionteract with a screen and enjoy virtual exhibitions with captivating storytelling. Digitized early photography is very good and suitable material for user engagement via this quick and brilliant tool, as it is demonstrated with the Man Meets World exhibition focused on Belle Epoque, about travels and must-see places of the time.

Man Meets World basically consists of a slide show of a selection of photographs illustrating the main themes (places and travelling) accompanied by audio fragments describing the narratives behind the images on screen and placing them in their historical context. This exhibition was produced in the context of E-Space project and was on show in Leuven in early 2017.

More info:

Pisa, 20th May 2017

Europeana Photography thematic collection – Launch event in Pisa

On May 20th it’s “Open, Sesame!” at Pisa’s Museo della Grafica. Precisely on the European Night of Museums, PHOTOCONSORTIUM and Europeana will launch the Europeana Photography thematic collection: an online platform that celebrates early photography by showcasing some of the finest historical collections around. Virtual exhibitions, themed galleries, blogposts and readymade queries will guide you through this treasure trove. But you’re more than welcome to go off and explore on your own, using our state-of-the-art search and filter tools! Image by image, story by story, you’ll get immersed in today’s remnants of a world long gone. Join us at the launch event and prepare to get carried away by compelling stories and visual wizardry!

What? Launch event with official kick-off and live demonstration of the new platform

When? Saturday 20 May, h18.00 onwards

Where? Museo della Grafica: Palazzo Lanfranchi Lungarno Galilei 9 – I-56125 Pisa

Who? Photography enthusiasts + cultural heritage fans and pros

How? Just drop by – admission is free on this European Night of Museums!

More? photoconsortium.net | europeana.eu

PHOTOCONSORTIUM, International Consortium for Photographic Heritage, and EUROPEANA, the great European digital library – proudly present: the Europeana Photography thematic collection, offering hundreds of thousands of top-quality images, just a click away! This treasure trove of carefully selected and curated pictures from the first 100 years of photography will be accessible via a new online platform, hosted by Europeana. Our promise? High-end images and compelling stories with top-notch provenance in a safe online environment. Europeana Photography will launch on May 20th and is bound to become an unmissable resource for educators, creative industries and photography enthusiasts.

Dublin (Ireland), 3rd November 2017

Photography / Archives / Ireland – Symposyum

This one day symposium will bring together researchers and practitioners who are concerned to interrogate the role of the archive in the production of new knowledges about photography in Ireland, and those who offer alternative narratives of Irish culture through a focus on photography. It will provide a forum for the critical examination of a range of photographic and archival practices, within both official and unofficial, public and private contexts. The symposium aims to gather and acknowledge ongoing research in historic, artistic and vernacular photography as it intersects with practical and theoretical considerations of the archive.

A call for papers is currently open until 16th June.

Topics:

Art and the Archive
Memory, Affect, Materiality
Identity, Society and Culture
Archival Science: Collecting, Preserving and Cataloging
Consuming Archives: Digital Repositories and Databases

DUBLIN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY School of Media

Location: Grangegorman Campus

Convenors:

Ann Curran (Programme Chair, BA Photography, DIT)
Fiona Loughnane (Assistant lecturer, Dept. of Visual Culture, NCAD)
Dr. Orla Fitzpatrick (Librarian, NMI)

More info and call for papers: https://photographyarchivesireland.wordpress.com/

the digital immersive installation will be live until the 2nd of November

In/Out – Artificial Paradises 2017, installation in Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire

IN/OUT – Artificial Paradises is an exclusive multi sensory work of art / installation by Miguel Chevalier for the park in Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire and is accompanied by Jacopo Baboni Schilingi original and generative music.

A half elliptical architecture made out of wood covered by holographic films sheens under the sun like a giant 12m/39ft of diameter beetle. According to the light the architecture embraces all the colors of the light spectrum and attracts visitors.

The public is welcomed into the geodesic dome where he discovers in a second 8m/26.24ft of diameter dome a digital garden projected at 360°. The public leaves reality and enjoys this unique immersion experience where all the senses are awakened. The virtual garden explores in a poetic way the question about the link between nature and artifice. According to an approach initiated at the end of 1990s this artwork is based on the observation of the kingdom of plants and its imaginary transposition into the digital universe.

[Show as slideshow]

Plants and flowers are inspired by arborescence, mix different tree, foliage, and flower species reminding undergrowth vegetation. This nature sometimes with realist forms sometimes with abstract forms generates itself indefinitely. Plants arise randomly, grow before disappearing before the public’s eyes. The garden renews itself and permanently transforms itself, reinforced by Jacopo Baboni Schilingi’s music.

Being immersed in the centre of a half elliptical architecture where this digital world redesigns our vision of distance and proximity, opens on infinity. Plants swirl and intertwine like a mysterious vegetal ballet. The lightweight dance draws the outlines of the garden, and like a microcosm, seems to resume the evanescence of beauty and life.