DIGITAL INTERVENTIONS IN THE REPRESENTATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE: A CASE STUDY ON SPATIAL NARRATIVE

Year 2025, Volume: 9 Issue: 3, 251 - 271, 17.10.2025

Sinem Ünal Gerdan

Abstract

This study examines the role of visual communication design in representing cultural heritage through digital tools, with particular attention to the ways in which design practices mediate between historical authenticity and contemporary interpretation. Focusing on A Special Chest (2024), an exhibition at Designmuseum Danmark, the article presents a qualitative analysis based on a semi-structured interview with designer Jakob Thorbek. The project demonstrates how digital interventions, when combined with spatial narrative strategies, can transform traditional exhibition practices into multisensory and immersive experiences.
The narrative structure of the installation emerges through the interplay of architectural space, typography, light, motion graphics, and physical objects. These elements collectively construct a contemporary approach to reinterpreting cultural memory, revealing how design can both preserve historical value and generate new aesthetic meanings. By situating Thorbek’s design philosophy within the broader discourse on digital heritage, the article highlights the importance of interpretive design in shaping visitors’ emotional and cognitive engagement with cultural artifacts.
Ultimately, the study argues that digital tools are not merely technical supports but active contributors to cultural storytelling. They expand the possibilities of museum display by fostering inclusivity, accessibility, and dynamic interaction, positioning visual communication design as a critical medium for both safeguarding and reimagining cultural heritage.

Keywords

Cultural Heritage , Spatial Narratives , Projection Mapping , Visual Communication Design , Digital Museology

KÜLTÜREL MİRASIN TEMSİLİNDE DİJİTAL MÜDAHALELER: MEKANSAL ANLATI ÜZERİNE BİR VAKA ÇALIŞMASI

Abstract

Bu çalışma, görsel iletişim tasarımının kültürel mirasın dijital araçlar aracılığıyla temsili konusundaki rolünü incelemekte; özellikle de tasarım uygulamalarının tarihsel özgünlük ile çağdaş yorum arasında nasıl aracılık ettiğine odaklanmaktadır. Designmuseum Danmark’ta sergilenen A Special Chest (2024) projesi üzerinden yürütülen çalışma, tasarımcı Jakob Thorbek ile yapılan yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeye dayalı nitel bir analiz sunmaktadır. Proje, dijital müdahalelerin mekânsal anlatı stratejileriyle birleştirildiğinde, geleneksel sergileme pratiklerini çok duyulu ve immersif deneyimlere dönüştürebileceğini göstermektedir.
Yerleştirmenin anlatısal yapısı; mimari mekân, tipografi, ışık, hareketli grafikler ve fiziksel nesneler arasındaki etkileşim aracılığıyla ortaya çıkmaktadır. Bu öğeler, kültürel belleğin yeniden yorumlanmasına yönelik çağdaş bir yaklaşım inşa ederek tasarımın hem tarihsel değeri koruma hem de yeni estetik anlamlar üretme potansiyelini açığa çıkarmaktadır. Thorbek’in tasarım felsefesini dijital miras söylemi içinde konumlandıran makale, yorumlayıcı tasarımın ziyaretçilerin kültürel objelerle duygusal ve bilişsel düzeyde kurduğu etkileşimi şekillendirmedeki önemini vurgulamaktadır.
Sonuç olarak çalışma, dijital araçların yalnızca teknik destekler değil, aynı zamanda kültürel hikâyelemenin etkin bileşenleri olduğunu ileri sürmektedir. Bu araçlar, müze sergileme pratiklerini kapsayıcılığı, erişilebilirliği ve dinamik etkileşimi teşvik ederek genişletmekte; görsel iletişim tasarımını kültürel mirası hem koruyan hem de yeniden tahayyül eden kritik bir ortam olarak konumlandırmaktadır.

Keywords

Dijital Müzecilik , Kültürel Miras , Mekânsal Anlatılar , Projeksiyon Haritalama , Görsel İletişim Tasarımı

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