Digital meets Culture

Munch wasn't only a painter: a digital archive expands our knowledge about him

Text by Caterina Sbrana.

In August 2007 the Munch Museum set up a project related to Edvard Munch’s writings. The project was financed with funds from Arts Council Norway, the Fritt Ord (Freedom of Expression) Foundation, The Municipality of Oslo’s Kunstsamlingenes institutt for vitenskapelig forskning (KIVF), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tate Modern and The Municipality of Oslo via The Munch Museum.

A Digital Archive, which was the first phase of the project, was launched on 2011. The second phase provided for the translation of the texts of the famous Norwegian painter in English, Edvard Munch’s Writings in English (2011–2012). This phase concerned the translation of a selection of Munch’s writings equipped with commentaries and accompanied by supplementary articles and facsimiles of the originals.

Drawing with literary sketch. “I was walking along/ the road”. Inventory number MM T 2367. Photo courtesy of the Munch Museum, https://www.emunch.no//HYBRIDNo-MM_T2367.xhtml

I surfed the website of the museum to discover the literary role of Munch. In the presentation of the English edition we read about the project: “The selection consists of 68 separate archive objects from the museum’s collection.[…] A major part of the selection consists of the extensive literary notes from the notebooks and loose sheets, written between 1889 and 1892. These contain numerous drafts of autobiographical notes in prose, in the form of fragments for a novel and short stories; a number of prose poems that have parallel motifs in Edvard Munch’s imagery; and a number of philosophical reflections related to art. A selection of autobiographical literary notes from around 1902–1906 has also been translated”. The aim of the digital archive of Munch’s writings is to help disseminate to a broader public “knowledge about Munch’s central position within the modernist movement”.

“Edvard Munch’s literary sketches, prose, poems and notes related to art represent a wealth of material that not only serves to shed light on Munch’s significant artistic oeuvre, they also have literary qualities in their own right. The lyrical prose texts related to his own pictures provide a rich opportunity for immersion into his parallel artistic experimentation in words and images. Well-known examples are the several literary and visual versions of the Scream motif. All the known literary versions are included in this selection”.

Drawing with literary sketch. “I lived down in the depths”; Inventory number MM T 2908; Photo courtesy of the Munch Museum, https://www.emunch.no//T/full/No-MM_T2908-01.jpg

The digital archive contains digital facsimiles and encoded transcriptions of the original manuscripts. The transcriptions are reproduced diplomatically. This means that Munch’s own orthography is reproduced as accurately as possible, so “that all misspellings, cross outs and the length of the lines will be shown as they were originally written. In order to make the material searchable, it is encoded according to name, place and date. In addition, the publication is accompanied by commentaries, by art history and literary research topics, as well as links to relevant works by the same artist.

The majority of Munch’s texts – the literary journals and letters – are an essential part of his rhetorical emphasis on the inseparable connection between life and art. The artist’s own childhood experiences, romances, friendships and intrigues are constantly referred to in his broad range of writings”.

The web site has been developed by the Munch Museum. It is divided into two main sections; the first is a Norwegian language archive of Edvard Munch’s writings, and the second, an English translation concerning the selection of Munch’s literary sketches and writings related to art of which I have spoken.

The icons on the website are colour-coded in purple, green, red and orange to make clear what type of material we are dealing with. The sections represent respectively: Munch’s writing, Munch’s correspondence, The English edition, About the archive.

Drawing with literary sketch. “Your eyes are as large as half the sky”; Inventory number MM T 329; English translation of the poem by Francesca M. Nichols; Photo courtesy of the Munch Museum, https://www.emunch.no//TRANS_HYBRIDMM_T0329.xhtml.

The purple menu leads to the Norwegian archive of Munch’s own texts. The English translations are found in the red menu that also contains an introduction describing the edition, a list of comments (regarding excerpts, persons, institutions and places), articles and videos on relevant topics, as well as a search window that allows you to browse in the translated English texts. The orange menu contains guidelines (regarding transcriptions, encoding and photographic digitalisation), information about the digital archive as a whole, about the Munch Museum’s collection of Munch’s writings, and about the project behind the website, etc. All of the entries in the red and the orange menus are in English.

I was very impressed by the poems of Munch, known to the general public especially as a painter, and to browse the website is really an experience that I recommend to art lovers.

I believe that this project, from its first phase, is an excellent example of the promotion of digital culture through the creation of a digital cultural space, which through the Internet has a mass diffusion. The layout of the site is very simple but accurate in every detail and with a graphical interface that allows an easier visit. Personally I would call excellent my experience.

http://www.emunch.no/

https://www.emunch.no//english.xhtml

https://www.emunch.no//HYBRIDNo-MM_T2367.xhtml

https://www.emunch.no//TRANS_HYBRIDMM_T2367.xhtml

https://www.emunch.no//TRANS_HYBRIDMM_T0329.xhtml

Online via Zoom: conference on 10 February 2021; workshops across 8-12 February 2021

Digital Past Conference 2021

New technologies in heritage, interpretation and outreach

Organised by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, Digital Past is an annual two-day conference which showcases innovative digital technologies and techniques for data capture, interpretation and dissemination of the heritage of Wales, the UK and beyond.

Running for the twelfth year, in light of the uncertainty caused by COVID-19 Digital Past 2021 was held as an online conference via the Zoom platform. One day of presented talks on Wednesday 10 February was be supplemented by workshops across the week of 8 to 12 February 2021.

Bringing together individuals from the commercial, public, academic, third sector and voluntary sectors, the conference aims to promote learning, discussion and debate around a range of digital technologies in current use, or in development, to record and understand the historic environment.

New technologies in heritage, interpretation and outreach

Abstracts for conference main programme (PDF, 5 Mb)

Website: https://rcahmw.gov.uk/about-us/digital-past-conference/

Wednesday 10 February 2021: Conference
8-12 February 2021: Workshops
Online via Zoom

the Adoration of the Lamb now restored to its original aspect, and documentation from the restoration process is now published on Closer to Van Eyck website

Closer to Van Eyck: more to explore about the Ghent Altarpiece

images in the Closer to Van Eyck’s website: The Lamb of God on the central panel, from left to right: before restoration (with the 16th-century overpaint), during restoration (showing the van Eycks’ original Lamb from 1432 before retouching), after retouching (the final result of the restoration).

Since 2010, a number of initiatives and grants, including support from the Getty Foundation, have enabled actions for the restoration of the renowned polyptych of the Ghent altarpiece, a beautiful artwork by Hubert and Jan van Eyck (1432). The research enabling a careful plan for appropriate restoration included analysis and digitization of the painting at the highest quality, also by the means of advanced photo techniques such as microscopic examination, analysis of paint samples and cross-sections, X-radiography, infrared reflectography and dendrochronology. The conservation treatment has been captured in full through ultra-high resolution photographic and scientific documentation, and all these images can be accessed and studied on the dedicated website Closer to Van Eyck.

A major part of the painted panels have already been treated by a team of conservators from the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA, Brussels, Belgium) and other partners. A second phase of conservation was recently completed, and included the restoration of the eponymous Adoration of the Lamb, principally by removing the 16th-century overpainting and all the dirt which accumulated across time, thus finally revealing the Lamb’s human-like features as they were meant to be seen according to the artists’ representation. In August 2020 an update of the Closer to Van Eyck website made available the high-resolution images taken before, during, and after restoration so to allow art students, researchers and all the users to zoom-in and to compare the results.

The Closer to Van Eyck website is designed and developed by Universum Digitalis, Brussels.

Visit: http://closertovaneyck.be/

Read the full article by Alexandria Sivak on Getty’s blog

Umeå (Sweden), 2-3 September and online

Cities, Design and Innovation – EU conference on the future of the Cultural and Creative Industries post-Covid

Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth will kickstart the discussion on the future of the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) post-Covid with an opening speech at the Cities, Design and Innovation conference, hosted by the Mayor of Umeå, Sweden.

Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth

The event will feature keynotes, inspirational speeches and discussions on topics such as design for ethical AI systems, European digital sovereignty and social media platforms, new ways of registering intellectual property, upskilling and lifelong learning, urban environments as cross-domain hubs, system design for decentralised governance, social impacts of new technologies, the shift to circular economy, STEAM education and more. In this international conference and high-level expert meeting there will be discussions on the ways in which plans for a Knowledge and Innovation Community can benefit the development of goal-oriented, hybrid innovations, new business models and creative technology prototyping that is crucial for future development in Europe.

The conference runs on the 2nd and 3rd of September, and is available live online for those unable to travel.

This initiative kickstarts a whole series of activities about the role of the CCI, run with partners at the European Creative Business Network. The results of this conference will be taken forward as policy recommendations, and to be further discussed and developed with reactions and feedback as part of this programme.

Registration online free of charge: https://www.designbyumea.com/#kic-start

Timișoara (Romania), 27th September - 3rd October 2020

SIMULTAN Festival 2020 “Unseen”

SIMULTAN is an annual festival dedicated to interdisciplinary arts – emerging media projects, experimental music and audio-visual and sound projects, in order to support new forms of artistic expression. The festival hosts annual live audio-visual performances, video art screenings, exhibitions, conferences and workshops, which some themes and methods are: stylistic eclecticism, the relationship between man and automation, recycling or ecological themes, dry lyricism, the fusion of acoustic and electronic instruments, the expanded cinema, the jovial live sound collage, as well as the reflection on the political valences of sound.

The 15th edition of SIMULTAN Festival will take place between September 27th and October 3rd, 2020 in Timișoara and proposes to reflect on the meaning and potential of art in the context of the global pandemic.

Entitled “UNSEEN”, the 2020 edition aims to point out how artists respond to the major challenges of today, under the sign of uncertainty that infiltrates the spectrum of collective perception and memory.

The current world is multifaceted, adding new meanings and new dimensions, changing the boundaries, the terms and conditions of coexistence, reverberating and evolving through complex communication systems over time. Theories of the future try to provide explanations and synoptic descriptions of the state of affairs and fundamental trends, each trying to capitalize as many followers, resources and power, in a state of amplification and mutual development, both in contradictions and collaborations. Multiple responses to complex stories, kaleidoscopic opinions, tutorials for tomorrow, social movements, as expressions of different paradigms, will collide in this process, often violently, but also creatively in search of reconciliation. Where are we, what does the future hold for us, and what are we heading for in this unseen war?

WEBSITE: http://www.simultan.org/en/

Call for Submissions is open until 25th August. The call is open for emerging and established artists, new authors and/or students. We are looking for submissions of innovative interdisciplinary video works, related to the festival theme and created during this year (even older works can be accepted if the video work is related to the term of UNSEEN).

the innovative journey across the city streets opens to the public with a première on 12-13 September

REMOTE ISTANBUL, a new theatrical interactive performance

Focusing on contemporary performance arts across multiple genres, Kundura Stage is an alternative platform for cutting edge theatre productions. It marks the second stage in the redevelopment of Beykoz Kundura as a multipurpose arts venue and cultural destination in Istanbul.

The inaugural season launches with Rimini Protokoll’s “Remote Istanbul” – a theatrical audiovisual journey in the streets of Istanbul. The interactive and immersive experience sees a small group of audience members set off into the heart of Istanbul with headphones.
Guided by a synthetic voice, they are asked to watch each other and make individual decisions whilst always remaining as part of a group.
Throughout the performance binaural recordings and film scores provide a soundtrack for the urban landscape. The journey through the city feels more and more like a collective film. The audience is transformed into active participants in the performance, exploring the influence of artificial intelligence, big data and our own redictability.

Since its first premiere in Berlin in 2013, “Remote X” (as it is generically known), has traveled to more than 50 cities including Lisbon, Madrid, Moscow, New York, São Paulo, St. Petersburg and more.

S. Buse Yıldırım, Managing Artistic Director at Beykoz Kundura said:
“We are delighted to collaborate with Rimini Protokoll, cult pioneers of documentary theatre, and are very glad to present their Remote X performance in Istanbul, which offers a unique audio-visual experience of city-making through theatre and technology. We aim to centralise theatre of documentary/reality into our curation policy by hoping to collaborate for multiple upcoming projects from this genre. Our mission is to present cutting edge, innovative productions in Istanbul and we look forward to witnessing the gradual return of its vibrant cultural scene.”

“Remote Istanbul” opens to the public from 19 September with a première on 12 September (in Turkish) and 13 September (in English). Performances will be held over the weekends until 15 November and tours will be available in both Turkish and English. Ticket sales will be available online from 31 August at beykozkundura.com .
In the interest of creating and maintaining a safe performance experience, new measures and protocol will be in place within the set COVID-19 health and safety regulations.
“Remote Istanbul” will run parallel to a wider events programme at Beykoz Kundura including public arts talks and online screenings which will be announced in due course on Beykoz Kundura’s social media platforms below and website here : beykozkundura.com .

Instagram – @beykozkundura || @kundurasinemasahne
Twitter/Facebook – @beykozkundura || @kundurasinema

thanks to a heritage postcard, a great cultural heritage research story and discovery

Discovery of the place where Van Gogh painted his last masterpiece

img. Post card ‘rue Daubigny, Auvers-sur-Oise’ covered with the painting ‘Tree Roots’ (1890) by Van Gogh, ©arthénon, courtesy Van Gogh Museum.

The discovery of the exact location where Vincent van Gogh painted his last artwork Tree Roots was made by Wouter van der Veen, the scientific director of the Institut van Gogh (Auvers-sur-Oise). Van der Veen found a post card dating from 1900 to 1910 featuring a scene including tree trunks and roots growing on a hillside. He has described and documented his discovery in a book, Attacked at the Roots, written specially for the occasion. Tree Roots is in the collection of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

Highly plausible discovery
Van der Veen submitted his discovery to Louis van Tilborgh and Teio Meedendorp, senior researchers at the Van Gogh Museum, almost immediately. Bert Maes, a dendrologist specialising in historical vegetation, was also consulted. Based on Van Gogh’s working habits and the comparative study of the painting, post card and current condition of the hillside, the experts concluded that it is ‘highly plausible’ that the correct location has been identified.

Wouter van der Veen (scientific director of the Institut van Gogh):
‘Every element of this mysterious painting can be explained by observation of the post card and the location: the shape of the hillside, the roots, their relation to each other, the composition of the earth and the presence of a steep limestone face. The site is also consistent with Van Gogh’s habit of painting motifs from his immediate surroundings. The sunlight painted by Van Gogh indicates that the last brush strokes were painted towards the end of the afternoon, which provides more information about the course of this dramatic day ending in his suicide.’

Teio Meedendorp (senior researcher at the Van Gogh Museum):
‘In our opinion, the location identified by Van der Veen is highly likely to be the correct one and it is a remarkable discovery. On closer observation, the overgrowth on the post card shows very clear similarities to the shape of the roots on Van Gogh’s painting. That this is his last artwork renders it all the more exceptional, and even dramatic. This area had already been documented by Van Gogh in other paintings. He must often have passed by the location when going to the fields stretching out behind the castle of Auvers, where he painted several times during the last week of his life and where he would take his own life.’

Diagram showing Van Gogh’s possible position in relation to the hillside in Auvers-sur-Oise when painting ‘Tree Roots’ (1890), ©arthénon

A moving experience
In May 2020, once the Covid-19 lockdown in France was lifted, Wouter van der Veen was able to travel to the site to verify his theory several months after the initial discovery. The site is 150 meters from the Auberge Ravoux, the inn in Auvers-sur-Oise where Van Gogh stayed the last 70 days of his life. Spectacularly, the biggest tree trunk from the painter’s last motif is still present and recognisable.

The Institut van Gogh, in co-operation with the local authorities, has erected a protective wooden structure to safeguard the site and allow for visits by the public. From today, those who visit Auvers to follow in the footsteps of Van Gogh will add another moving experience to their journey: they can stand at the exact place where Van Gogh’s paint brush last touched the canvas.

The condition of the hillside in Auvers-sur-Oise in June 2020, ©arthénon

Source: Press release from the Van Gogh Museum.

Virtual event, 22-24 September

European Research & Innovation Days, 2020 edition

The 2020 edition of European Research and Innovation Days will be held online from 22 to 24 next September.

This leading event of the the European Commission brings together researchers, entrepreneurs, policymakers and citizens to debate and shape the future of research and innovation in Europe and beyond.

It is expected a very full programme (link to the draft programme) with feature three days of intensive policy co-designing, thought-provoking panels and matchmaking opportunities.

The interactive sessions will let participants provide input on how research and innovation policy and funding can help propel Europe’s recovery and pave the way to a green, digital and resilient future.

The 2020 edition, which follows an unprecedented global crisis, it will be a unique opportunity to discuss how research and innovation will benefit Europe’s future.

Further information:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/events/upcoming-events/european-research-and-innovation-days_en

22, 23 and 24 September 2020

European Research & Innovation Days, join the virtual event!

European Research and Innovation Days bring together policymakers, researchers, entrepreneurs and citizens to debate and shape the future of research and innovation in Europe and beyond.

This event, planned on 22-24 September, is the European Commission’s annual flagship event and in this crucial year, following an unprecedented global crisis, research and innovation will be even more important to ensure that the transition to a post-corona society is sustainable, inclusive and resilient.

Just before the launch of Horizon Europe, the next research and innovation programme starting in 2021, and an enhanced European Research Area, this event is a unique chance to discuss how research and innovation will benefit the future of Europe.
All participants, thanks to interactive sessions, can provide input on how research and innovation policy and funding can help propel Europe’s recovery and pave the way to a green, digital and resilient future.

Download the draft programme here.

More Information: https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/events/upcoming-events/european-research-and-innovation-days_en

September 17-18, 2020 - online conference

The 1st Eu Presidency Trio Conference: Museums and Social Responsibility – Values revisited

Three events will be organised by museum organisations located in the countries holding the presidency of the Council of the European Union and they will focus on different aspects of social responsibility.

The first of them will be held online from 17-18 September 2020 organized by NEMO and the German Museums Association, within the framework of Germany’s presidency of the Council of the European Union.

It is titled “Museums and Social Responsibility – Values revisited” and it will focus on what social responsibility means for museums.

Museums address issues related to social cohesion, social inclusion and social diversity; the conference will focus particularly on community involvement and development to discuss what social responsibility means for museums and on the contribution that they can made.

The main topics, debated through workshops, short lectures, panel discussions, will be:

- Community involvement,
- Education and culture,
- Employment creation and skills development,
- Technology development and access issues,
- Wealth and income creation issues,
- Social investment, Health Issues.

Speakers of the conference

The other EU Presidency Conferences will be:
– Museums and Social Responsibility – Participation, Networking and Partnerships in Lisbon (Portugal) April 2021 (TBD)
– Museum and Social Responsibility – what comes next? in Maribor (Slovenia) 23-24 September 2021 (TBC)

Registration for “Museums and Social Responsibility – Values revisited” conference
Main page of “Museums and Social Responsibility – Values revisited” conference