Eleventh International Conference on The Inclusive Museum

Abstract

Hack your ethno heritage is a project of the Ethnographic Museum in Zagreb (2017-2019). It aims to find innovative ways to present, promote, and reuse museum collections by using new technologies like artificial intelligence applications (AI) for new permanent exhibitions. Audience development is an integral part of the project. This includes involving and motivating young people and non-users who are interested in new technologies (ICT specialists, students, designers, freelancers, amateurs) in planning and creating content (co-creation); and the testing and development (co-programming) of the mobile application for a new permanent exhibition at hackathon. This paper explores the project realized in cooperation with Zagreb University of Applied Sciences IT Design and Technology students during which several groups of interested students worked together to explore museum collections and co-create a series of digital responses. Cooperation included two visits and guided tours to the old permanent exhibition and temporary exhibitions in the Ethnographic Museum, familiarizing themselves with the museum’s information assets behind the scenes, and lectures about mobile museum applications and good museum practice examples. The outputs, eight designs for the mobile application and a research study about the museum, were presented, led and evaluated by participants. In November 2018, a “hack marathon” is coming up for students and others interested in IT to work on testing and development of novel solutions through co-programming of the mobile application.