Cultural Heritage XR

This project investigates how people engage with cultural objects in physical and virtual environments through a comparative study of authentic object interaction, digital replicas, and immersive XR experiences. Participants interact collaboratively with a series of carefully produced cultural object replicas in both physical and virtual settings, allowing the research to examine how materiality, embodiment, social interaction, and spatial presence shape interpretation and engagement.

The study explores whether digital replicas can support forms of interaction and meaning-making comparable to physical object handling, while also identifying the unique affordances and limitations of immersive virtual environments. Using observational analysis, interviews, proxemic data, and participant reflection, the project examines gesture, communication, attention, collaboration, and perceptions of authenticity across both modalities.

Conducted within a full-scale digital twin XR environment, the research contributes to ongoing discussions surrounding digital heritage, embodiment, and immersive storytelling, while critically evaluating how emerging technologies reshape human relationships with cultural material.

Handling the Past: Methodological Reflections on Object Interaction In XR