Curating the Virtual: XR Technologies and the Evolution of Heritage Experiences

Description

The integration of digital technologies, particularly Extended Reality (XR) tools such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), has fundamentally transformed the way museums and heritage sites engage with audiences. XR has the potential to enhance understanding, engagement, and retention by creating dynamic, multisensory environments that actively involve the user (Cranmer, 2019). However, their implementation in cultural heritage contexts presents significant challenges, such as high implementation costs, technological reliability, the need for regular maintenance, and the ongoing tension between technological innovation and the preservation of authenticity (Cerquetti, 2018; Menegaki, 2022).
This research examines the intersection of traditional museology and emerging XR technologies, exploring how these digital tools can be integrated into cultural heritage experiences while addressing the many challenges and opportunities they present. The study employs qualitative interviews with practitioners across China, Europe, and North America to understand how cultural heritage XR projects are ideated, developed, and implemented. Ultimately, the study aims to encapsulate a new framework that will help practitioners and academia understand the processes that inform the development and implementation of meaningful and authentic XR heritage experiences.
The design of digital experiences requires increased interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together a wide range of stakeholders, including curators, designers, technologists, graphic designers, educational specialists, and, on occasion, the users themselves (Mason, 2015). This collaborative approach ensures that digital interventions are well-integrated with the educational goals and thematic narratives of the heritage sites (Mason & Vavoula, 2021). However, this leads to several challenges in the design process, requiring extensive collaboration, communication, and shared processes in order to create successful digital products (Popoli & Derda, 2021). At the same time, heritage managers and museum curators must give up some of their authority in the process, which can be a challenging organizational shift, especially considering the added layer of complexity due to the use of often new and unexplored technologies (Davies, 2010).
Responding to these new complexities of integrating novel technologies, researchers and practitioners have developed a range of frameworks to curate digital museum and heritage experiences. In line with a new concept of what a museum experience should be – that is more engaging, less static, and more focused on the visitor - the frameworks have evolved to incorporate an increased focus on technology integration, user-centered design principles, iterative processes, multidisciplinary collaboration, and balancing engagement with educational authenticity (Damala et al., 2019; Davies, 2010; Popoli & Derda, 2021; Spadoni et al., 2023). Earlier models focused more on traditional exhibition methods, while recent ones emphasize immersive technologies, involving end-users, and maintaining a balance between entertainment and accurate information delivery. Despite the wealth of knowledge within this sector, few frameworks address curation at heritage sites specifically, and even fewer look at how to implement XR experiences beyond the museum walls.
The findings of the research highlight several key differences between traditional museum practices and the development of XR heritage projects. A major distinction lies in the ideation phase, where a more diverse range of stakeholders are involved. Traditionally, museums and heritage sites have been the primary ideators of exhibitions, with external collaborators such as designers and technologists brought in later in the process. However, in the case of XR heritage experiences, it is increasingly common for external parties — such as developers, artists, private sector organizations, or even local communities — to propose project ideas and seek funding and collaboration from museums and heritage institutions. This shift leads to a more non-linear, iterative development process, where ideas evolve as new stakeholders are brought into the fold.
The research also underscores the importance of collaboration and communication in the success of XR heritage projects. Interviewees consistently emphasize the need for clear communication channels and well-defined project management processes to ensure that all stakeholders are aligned and that the project stays on track. The complexity of these projects requires ongoing coordination between curators, technologists, designers, and other participants, which can be challenging given the interdisciplinary nature of the work. On the technical side, the research confirms the widespread concern about the sustainability and longevity of XR projects. Interviewees identify issues such as data storage, long-term maintenance, and technological obsolescence as significant challenges that must be addressed to ensure the long-term viability of XR heritage projects. Furthermore, the high costs associated with developing and maintaining XR experiences often require substantial investment, which can be difficult to secure, especially for smaller museums and heritage sites with limited budgets.
Despite the challenges, the interviewees also underscore several important opportunities in the use of XR in the field of museum and heritage curation. First, they highlight the potential of XR to enable diversity and interdisciplinarity, shifting the storytelling power toward communities and individuals. By bringing together different perspectives, these projects are better equipped to balance the competing demands of authenticity, creativity, and user engagement. Second, interviewees note how XR can unleash creativity and recount history from multiple perspectives. This simultaneously reiterates the challenges of maintaining historical accuracy while embracing the flexibility and creative potential of designers and artists when using XR technologies. While these tools allow for a greater degree of artistic expression and experimentation, they also require careful consideration of how to present historical narratives in a way that respects the integrity of the past.
As XR technologies continue to evolve, the development of new frameworks and methodologies will be necessary to support the effective integration of these tools into cultural heritage experiences. This research contributes to the theoretical understanding of heritage XR curatorial practices and offers practitioners a range of perspectives from various cultural and professional backgrounds. Going forward, it will be crucial to gain a deeper understanding of these processes by deep-diving into specific case studies and best practices as well as understanding the process, benefits, and challenges of cultural heritage XR from the users' perspectives.

Period	29 Nov 2024
Event title	Cumulus Regional Seminar 2024: Design for Inter-Cultural Innovation
Event type	Conference
Location	Suzhou, ChinaShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International