Utility and usership in virtual contemporary art museums
What is the social function of virtual museums, what modes of public engagement do they entail and how can new digital cultural applications foster greater democracy and social justice in today’s post-truth era?
These are some of questions central to Bertrand’s research, done in collaboration with Milieux Institute and Crete’s Institute for Computer Science (ICS-FORTH).
“Following years of research into contemporary art curating, I was inspired to start working in the area of virtual museums after meeting my postdoctoral supervisor, George Papagiannakis. He is very active in the field of digital cultural heritage as a researcher and programmer of augmented and virtual reality,” she says.
“He recruited me to take part in discussions to determine EU priorities on policy and funding related to digital culture. I realized there is an urgency to develop innovative curatorial concepts and approaches tailored to virtual museums of contemporary art.”
The ultimate objective of the project is to create a conceptual framework and design interface for virtual museums.
Bertrand holds a PhD in Museology from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and an MFA in Curating from Goldsmiths, University of London, in the United Kingdom. She is excited to be back studying in Montreal after a long absence from her native city.
“Montreal is a world capital for new technologies, including virtual reality and artificial intelligence,” Bertrand says.
“After almost 15 years of living and studying abroad, I wanted to create a bridge between my European affiliations and contacts and my ongoing connections to the Montreal scene, with a view to developing a sustainable network between both poles. Concordia felt like a natural choice.”
Find out more about Concordia’s School of Irish Studies and Milieux Institute.