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The Fabrication of Art and Beyond: Making and Inventing in Digital Culture |
Sarah Younan (Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK)
Fabricating the Dream Space: the use of digital 3D technologies in museum intervention
Digital three-dimensional (3D) imaging, editing and printing technologies open up new creative possibilities for museum interventions. While physical museum collections possess a definite and ‘finished’ form digital 3D models can play a transitory role; they can be distributed, edited and transformed. Digital 3D models of museum artefacts can be employed as palimpsests; the 3D forms can be scraped clean of previous context and take on new forms and meanings through digital editing and 3D print. Through the digital transformation of museum objects, the museum becomes engaged in a vital relationship with transmuted reality. This goes against the museum’s traditional focus on factual information grounded in authentic material objects. In the physically and intellectually controlled environment of the museum harnessing the liquid and editable qualities of digital media for creative use is a potentially disruptive act.
Furthermore, this form of museum intervention is potentially open to anyone. Increasingly, digital 3D models of museum artefacts, as well as digital tools and tutorials are available online. These resources enable larger audiences to engage creatively with digital 3D models of heritage objects. Online 3D repositories, such as Thingiverse[1] or Autodesk[2] allow users to share and download free and premium 3D models for further use. Some websites also offer software tools and cloud services, including free photogrammetry software, which allows users to create their own digital 3D models using digital cameras or smartphones. These resources mean that anyone can now potentially undertake digital forms of museum intervention and display them online.
This paper gives an overview of museum interventions as an artistic genre, and investigates how the rise of digital 3D technologies is furthering new forms of museum intervention.
1. See http://www.thingiverse.com, accessed 13.04.2015.
2. See http://www.123dapp.com, accessed 13.04.2015.
Biography:
Sarah Younan is an artist and writer. Her PhD research investigates the ways in which digital 3D imaging and printing technologies can foster meaningful experiences and engagement with museum collections.