Towards a Digital Dream Space: How can the use of digital 3D scanning, editing and print technologies foster new forms of creative engagement with museum artefacts? by Sarah Younan M.A. Thesis submitted to the Cardiff Metropolitan University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Art and Design Submitted 05.11.2015 Director of Studies: Professor Cathy Treadaway Supervisor: Mr. Andrew Renton Supervisor: Professor Steve Gill Cardiff School of Art and Design Cardiff Metropolitan University United Kingdom Collaborating institution National Museum Cardiff United Kingdom © 2015 S. Younan 2 Declaration This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not being concurrently submitted in candidature for any degree. Signed…………………………………………… Date………………………………………………. Statement 1 This thesis is the result of my own investigation, except where stated otherwise. Other sources are acknowledged by footnotes and explicit references. Signed…………………………………………… Date………………………………………………. Statement 2 I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter-library loans. I also give consent for the summary to be made available to outside organisations. Signed…………………………………………… Date………………………………………………. i To my family, for showing me that the first answer is not always the right one and to Dave, for sharing his home. ii Acknowledgements I would like to express gratitude to my Director of Studies, Professor Cathy Treadaway for her continuous guidance and support in academic as well as personal matters. I also want to thank my supervisors, Andrew Renton and Professor Steve Gill for their encouragement and commitment over the last three years. I am particularly grateful to Andrew Renton, Keeper of Art, and to his colleagues at the National Museum Cardiff. They opened the doors of the National Museum Cardiff to me; without their enthusiasm, their willingness to experiment and their spirit of enquiry this research would not have been possible. I am indebted to the many participants who contributed their time and thoughts to this research, especially to the artists who participated in (Im)material Artefacts and whose creations brought this study alive; Jonathan Monaghan, Guy Davis, Katie Parker, Mohamed Hossam, Mario Padilla, Ian Cooke Tapia, Zachary Eastwood-Bloom, Jeff Waweru, Zack Dougherty, Jon Rainey, Flemming Tvede Hansen, Jason Rouse. This research would not have been possible without funding by the Arts and Humanities Council and The Welsh Institute of Research in Art and Design in the form of a studentship bursary. The Arts Council of Wales also provided crucial financial support which made the (Im)material Artefacts exhibition possible. I would also like to thank Alicia Miller and her colleagues at Axis Web, for helping to promote this research through the Behind the Scenes at the Museum symposium. Many thanks to my friends and colleagues at Cardiff School of Art and Design. iii Contents 1. Introduction…………………………………..…………………………………..…………………..1 1.1. Rationale and scope of the research………………………………………………...5 1.2. Aims and objectives…………………………………..……………………………………7 2. Literature and Contextual Review…………………………………..……………………10 2.1. Introduction…………………………………..…………………………………..………...10 2.2. Technical review…………………………………..……………………………………...10 2.2.1. 3D scanning…………………………………..………………………………..12 2.2.2. 3D editing…………………………………..…………………………………..14 2.2.3. 3D print…………………………………..……………………………………...16 2.3. Digital museum strategies…………………………………..………………………...20 2.3.1. Knowledge-based strategies……………………………………………21 2.3.2. Social engagement…………………………………..………………………22 2.3.3. Digital 3D repositories of museum artefacts online…………..23 2.3.4. Museum hackathons…………………………………..…………………...27 2.4. The museum object and its reproductions……………………………………..30 2.4.1. The museum object…………………………………..…………………….30 2.4.2. Originals and copies…………………………………..……………………36 2.4.3. Digital copies…………………………………..………………………………39 2.4.4. Digital poaching…………………………………..………………………….43 2.4.5. Digital media and the museum dream space…………………….45 2.5. Artist engagement…………………………………..……………………………………48 2.5.1. Forms of artistic museum engagement…………………………….50 2.5.1.1. Mining the museum…………………………………………...51 2.5.1.2. Mock museums………………………………………………….51 2.5.1.3. Opening the archive…………………………………………...52 2.5.1.4. Museum displays……………………………………………….53 2.5.1.5. Guiding the viewer…………………………………………….54 2.5.1.6. The Museum as place…………………………………………56 2.5.1.7. Invading the museum………………………………………...57 2.5.1.8. Going digital………………………………………………………58 iv 2.6. Discussion and research plan………………………………………………………..60 3.Research Methodology…………………………………..………………………………………63 3.1. Introduction…………………………………..…………………………………………….63 3.2. Methodological approach…………………………………..…………………………66 3.3. Theoretical framework…………………………………..……………………………..68 3.3.1. Case study…………………………………..…………………………………..69 3.3.2. Practice-led research..………………………………..……………………70 3.3.3. Comparative case study…………………………………..………………72 3.4. Data collection…………………………………..…………………………………………74 3.4.1. Surveys…………………………………..………………………………………74 3.4.2. Interviews…………………………………..…………………………………..75 3.4.3. Visual data, creative prctice and production….………………….78 3.5. Undertaking data analysis…………………………………..………………………...80 3.5.1. Analysis of interview and survey data……………………………...81 3.5.2. Analysis of artefacts and artworks…………………………………...82 3.6. Discussion of research methodology……………………………………………..84 4. Case Studies…………………………………..…………………………………..…………………86 4.1. Introduction…………………………………..……………………………………………86 4.2.(Im)material Artefacts case study…………………………………..……………...89 4.2.1. Exploration and selection of museum artefacts………………...89 4.2.2. Participating artists…………………………………..…………………….89 4.2.3. Creation of artworks and data collection………………………….91 4.2.4. Artworks…………………………………..…………………………………...92 4.2.5. Public exhibition…………………………………..…………………….…105 4.3. Comparative case study: Lincoln 3D Scans…………………………………..106 4.3.1. 3D scans of artefacts from Lincoln…………………………………107 4.3.2. Users…………………………………..…………………………………….…109 4.3.3. Lincoln 3D Scans artworks…………………………………..………..110 4.4. Discussion…………………………………..…………………………………..…………124 v 5. Analysis…………………………………..…………………………………..…………………...…127 5.1.Introduction …………………………………..…………………………………………..127 5.2. Artefacts and artworks…………………………………..………………………...…127 5.2.1. Function and form…………………………………..…………………….128 5.2.2. Materiality and production…………………………………..……..…134 5.2.3. Discussion…………………………………..………………………………...141 5.3. Digital possibilities…………………………………..…………………………………142 5.3.1. 3D digitisation and editing…………………………………..………...143 5.3.2. 3D print…………………………………..……………………………………153 5.3.3. Hybrid practices…………………………………..……………………….156 5.3.4. Discussion…………………………………..………………………………...160 5.4. Art context…………………………………..…………………………………………..…161 5.4.1. Museum intervention…………………………………..……………..…162 5.4.2. Remix art.…………………………………..…………………………………165 5.4.3. A third space…………………………………..……………………….……171 5.4.4. Discussion…………………………………..……………………………...…176 5.5. Dream space…………………………………..…………………………………..………178 5.5.1. Memories…………………………………..…………………………………179 5.5.2. Memory tokens…………………………………..…………………………181 5.5.3. Present-day associations and popular culture……………...…187 5.5.4. Identity…………………………………..…………………………………….191 5.5.5. Discussion…………………………………..……………………………..…194 5.6. Institutional setting…………………………………..……………………………..…196 5.6.1. Critical voices…………………………………..……………………………197 5.6.2. Moving with the times…………………………………..………………200 5.6.3. Feedback loops…………………………………..…………………………202 5.6.4. Learning experiences…………………………………..……………..…205 5.6.5. Digital divides, digital literacies…………………………………..…209 5.6.6. Museum policies…………………………………..………….……………213 5.6.7. Control or chaos?.....……………………………….……………………...216 5.6.8. Discussion…………………………………..……………………………...…220 vi 6. Interpretation of Findings………………………………………………………………..…224 6.1. Introduction…………………………………..……………………………..…224 6.2. Institutional considerations…………………………………..…………224 6.2.1. Discussion…………………………………..……………………...230 6.3. Artistic impact…………………………………..…………………………..…232 6.3.1. Digital remixes……...………………………………..………..…233 6.3.2. Digital museum intervention………………………………235 6.3.3. Discussion…………………………………..…………………...…237 6.4. Extending dream space…………………………………..………………..238 6.4.1. Discussion…………………………………..……………………...240 6.5. Summary and Implications for the future………………………….241 6.5.1. Future plans…………………………………..…………………..243 References……..…………………………..…………………………………..………………………245 Glossary and Acronyms…………………………………..…………………………………...…270 Appendix A Case Studies…………………………………………………..……………………278 A.1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………278 A.2. Open call…………………………………………………………………………278 A.3. Information on museum artefacts…………………………………….280 A.3.1. Archival information…………………………………………..287 A.3.2. Lincoln 3D Scans…………………………………………………291 A.4. Surveys………………………………………………………………………..…292 A.4.1. Survey (Im)material Artefacts………………………….…292 A.4.2. Survey Lincoln 3D Scans………………………………….….296 A.5. Interview protocols…………………………………………………………299 A.5.1. (Im)material Artefacts………………………………………...299 A.5.2. Lincoln 3D Scans…………………………………………………300 A.6. Participant profiles……………………………………………………….…301 A.7. Forms……………………………………………………………………………..303 A.7.1. (Im)material Artefacts……………………………………..…303 A.7.2. Lincoln 3D Scans…………………………………………………317 vii A.8. Interview summaries………………………………………………………326 A.8.1. (Im)material Artefacts……………………………………...…326 A.8.2. Lincoln 3D Scans…………………………………………………354 A.9. (Im)material Artefacts exhibition……………………………………..364 A.10. Analysis……………………………………………………………………...…365