EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND MUSEUMS

Professor Theopisti Stylianou-Lambert gave an online keynote speech at UCL on Emerging Technologies and Museums.

Discussants: Dr Eva Insulander and Dr Jennifer Blunden

“Emerging technologies and museums: presence, embodiment, and multisensory experiences” 

This presentation explores the use of emerging technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, holograms, deep fakes, and interactive multisensory installations in museum spaces. While a lot has been written about the advantages and limitations of new technologies in museums, the presentation focuses on the potential of technology to create a sense of presence, immersion, and embodiment. More specifically, the presentation unpacks the concept of “presence” and provides examples of case studies in which new technologies in museum spaces were instrumental in making visible what cannot be seen, revealing missing or underrepresented voices, engaging multiple senses, eliciting empathetic and affective responses, and aiding immersion and embodied experiences. The case study examples come mainly from two recent volumes edited by the speaker: “Museums and Technologies of Presence” (Routledge, 2024) and “Emerging Technologies and Museums: Mediating Difficult Heritage” (Berghahn Books, 2022) as well as the work of the Museum Lab at the CYENS centre of Excellence, Cyprus.

Theopisti Stylianou-Lambert is a Professor at the Department of Multimedia and Graphic Arts at the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) and the leader of the Museum Lab at CYENS Centre of Excellence/ CUT. Her research and artistic interests include museum studies and visual sociology with an emphasis on photography and new technologies.

More on the work of the Museum Lab: https://museumlab.cyens.org.cy/

More on Theopisti and her artistic practice: www.theopististylianoulambert.com.