Light & Shadow: Cultural Artefact in a Digital World

Abstract

Design Investigations

The digitisation of design process and artefact production is changing both our perception and relationship to objects. Despite the many advantages of digital goods, people still appear to prefer physical to digital artefacts. Through the design process, making and exhibition of digitally created artefacts, the staff and student team collaborated on the examination of: ⦁ Artefact perception

⦁ Object digitisation

⦁ Cultural artefact & heritage

⦁ Past urban culture & artefact

⦁ Future urban culture & artefact

Curtin and Eurasia Staff engagement advanced both research outcomes and implementation of pedagogic innovation. Student involvement is facilitated via their enrolment in study units supported by staff mentoring. Academic staff from Curtin & Eurasia were directly involved in mentoring students in the development of work for the exhibitions.

The exhibition presented work developed by staff and students that investigates digital making, and examine the impact of digital production on the viewer experience of objects. Designers used digital media to produce works that investigate ideas such as ‘visual haptic’, ‘physical vs digital artefact’ and ‘sharing cultural artefacts’. The exhibition challenged conventional techniques of display and viewer experience of the artefact and new forms of exhibition touring.

There were series of iterative exhibitions which included the presentation of work at Curtin University campus, Perth Australia (28/10 – 06/11/2020), Eurasia University, Xi’an China (06 – 27/11/2020) FutureLab, Education Expo Shanghai China (05-13/12/2020). Eurasia University Xi’an China (19/03-27/04 2021)

The exhibition installation design and presentation at Art & Design FutureLab, Shanghai was managed by Eurasia with support from FutureLab volunteers.