AR Communities

Transdisciplinary research project between artistic research and cultural studies to explore the field of participatory use of digital technologies in public space, generation of critical knowledge production and cultural participation through games

Team: Sonja Prlić, Sophia Reiterer and Karl Zechenter

The project is carried out by gold extra and Wissenschaft & Kunst, program area Contemporary Art and Cultural Production in cooperation, funded by the State of Salzburg, Department of Culture and Science.

Keywords:
Artistic research, cultural studies, digitalization, cultural participation, participation, media art and games

What constitutes “AR Communities”?

●        Basic research in the field of participatory artistic research with digital games and media art

●        Low-threshold knowledge production with people from the city and province of Salzburg, especially socio-economically excluded children and young people

●        Digitization as an expansion of the scope of action

●       Builds on everyday experiences of media culture

●       Connects to the multi-award-winning basic research project schnitt # stellen (https://www.goldextra.com/schnitt-stellen)

●        Cooperation between university institutions and Salzburg’s educational and cultural institutions and youth centers

●        gold extra as the starting point for a network of experts in digitalization, media and cultural participation

Research questions:
What experiences do people have when they articulate and visualize their concerns in public space using augmented reality games? How can augmented reality be used as a transdisciplinary research approach between art, digital media and cultural studies to expand the scope of action?

Procedure:
4 years: October 2022 – September 2026, preparatory research, practical projects with accompanying research and reflection, evaluation, dissemination.

spaces:
digital spaces, public space in the city and province of Salzburg.

“AR Communities” is a four-year interdisciplinary basic research project by gold extra and the Inter-University Institute of Science and Art (University of Salzburg and Mozarteum). The aim of the collaboration between social science research and artistic research is to explore the participatory potential of digital games in communication, awareness-raising and the expansion of social participation in public spaces in the context of playful applications.

In this way, “AR Communities” builds on experiences from the research project “schnitt # stellen”, which investigated questions of synergies between media art practice and the media practice of young people in a school context.

“AR Communities” investigates playful approaches that connect digital spaces with local and regional spaces and that make it possible to use and help shape these hybrid spaces. The research project is designed to expand the cultural potential in Salzburg. Participatory research will be used to identify the conditions under which people can express their own issues, needs and requirements in regional and digital spaces. The digital transformation is bringing about profound change. We want to shed light on those questions of digitality that further develop the artistic and social potential that lies in the use of digital media and games.