My studies for an MPhil in Digital Humanities and Culture at Trinity College Dublin culminated in my thesis A Closer Look: Using Mobile Applications to Reveal Hidden Aspects of Art. It begins…

Art is immensely complex by its very nature. Conceptual meanings and storied existences make art objects and cultural heritage sites valuable learning tools. Yet these attributes, the very essence which transforms them from mere objects to fascinating, priceless cultural heritage artifacts, often cannot be understood by present day viewers through observation alone. Art objects are reliant on external sources to communicate their messages and meanings for them, to reveal their hidden stories to the world. The transformative potential of digital mobile technology as a new means to engage broad public audiences with works of art and cultural heritage sites is changing the nature of how this problem is addressed.

Now mobile users can globe trot and virtually visit many of the world’s great museums on their devices without leaving their homes. Mobile applications are being used as directed learning tools to reveal and enhance fascinating details of art objects which would otherwise go unnoticed to the untrained eye or are physically inaccessible because they are hidden or no longer exist. Numerous stories, histories and other hidden fascinating morsels of knowledge are also given new life by being reintroduced to broad audiences through mobile applications. Museum practices are becoming more transparent through digital methods, which helps raise the profile of museums as research and educational institutions. Digital technology helps museums publish research and explain curatorial, art conservation, and other behind the scenes practices to share them with broad public audiences and create new ways of learning unlike ever before.

If you’re intrigued, please download and check out my full thesis, including a copy of my Bulgarian Orthodox Art Guide!