The Politehnica University of Timișoara, through the e-Learning Center and the Multimedia Center, together with the National Museum of Banat and Timișoara 2023, organize on Friday, February 17, 2023, between 09:00 and 17:00, the hybrid conference "Spotlight Heritage Timișoara - Digital Culture & Heritage Talks".

About the conference
Conference Agenda
About the presenters

Register for PHYSICAL participation in the conference
Register for ONLINE conference participation

The conference is part of the Cultural Programme Timisoara European Capital of Culture and Opening Timisoara 2023 and brings a diverse category of international speakers (Austria, UK, Italy, Serbia, Norway, Netherlands), from the area of heritage and digital culture and partly from partner universities. E³UDRES² The event will take place on February 17, 2023, between 9:00 and 17:00, in the Conference Center of the Politehnica University of Timisoara (Vasile Pârvan bd., no. 2B) and online.

To bring value to Timisoara's digital and cultural ecosystem we will launch, for the first time in the Romanian landscape, the NFT (Non-Fungible Tokens) I Spotlight Heritage-Timisoara2023.

In addition to the conference, the program will include a series of events highlighting the specifics of the city (technical - industrial - creative). The program will include an XR Show in the UPT spaces ( Experimentarium, UPT Museum), an exhibition with experiments that will expose the allegory of the 5 senses that guided the project every year, and will also include live broadcasts from the street exhibition Spotlight Heritage Timișoara in the Giroc neighborhood, moments that will arouse the interest of passers-by in the project, will actively involve and invite them to other activities.

The expected participants are actors from the creative industries, museographers, artists, teachers, academics, students, pupils, creators of cultural events, members of the civil society, students, but also people with disabilities, seniors, and children.
Participation is free based on registration: in-situ for the Auditorium Hall of UPT Conference Center and online.

About the conference

Digital Culture & Heritage Talks aims to provide a space for the discussion of current trends and projects related to the crossover between artistic practices and digital technology, with a particular focus on the educational and community impact.

The conference brings together a range of cultural, educational, artistic, critical, and scientific perspectives, affording visibility to recent or ongoing development works in various countries and cultural contexts.

Based on the concepts of the Spotlight Heritage Timisoara project and the Timisoara European Capital of Culture 2023 programme, we plan to discuss the way in which digital technologies have contributed to the creation of new territories and stimulated different innovations in cultural production, creative instances, and curatorial practices and museum spaces.

Furthermore, considering that digital technology systems are also a social and human interaction construct, an attempt is made to investigate the circumstances under which universities, foundations, and museums have formulated new challenges and paved the way for new educational and curatorial developments.

The conference brings together a range of cultural, educational, artistic, critical, and scientific perspectives, affording visibility to recent or ongoing development works in various countries and cultural contexts. The conference is built as a hybrid event with on-site and online broadcasts, integrated with the XR Show, structured talks, panel interventions, and practical demonstrations.

The conference is elaborated as a continuation of the 7 Politehnica University of Timisoara Workshops, from the last years, dedicated to digital competences in creative industries, the IAFeS International Conference NETTIES 2021 on Digital Culture in Education, Science, and Technology, and the Erasmus+ DigiCulture project "Improving the Digital Competences and Social Inclusion of Adults in Creative Industries", at a time of greater and ever deeper interest on the Timisoara’s role in building creative industries.

Spotlight Heritage Timișoara is a digital cultural initiative of Politehnica University Timișoara, realized in partnership with the National Museum of Banat, part of the Cultural Programme Timișoara 2023 European Capital of Culture. Cultural project co-financed by the Municipality of Timișoara through the Project Centre, Timis County Council.

Conference Agenda

9:00 – 9:30 Welcome and opening

Florin DrăganRector, Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania

Alexandra Rigler, director Center for Projects of the Municipality of Timișoara

Marius Cornea, National Museum of Banat, Romania

Representatives from local authorities

9:30 – 10:00 Spotlight Heritage Timisoara introduction: concept and 2019-2023 actions, launch of 2023 Parallel Worlds

Diana Andone, Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania

Sorina Jecza, cultural manager Triade Foundation - live from Giroc neighbourhood, Jecza Museum, Romania

Moderator: Radu Vasiu, Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania

10:00 – 11:00

Presentation of SpotlightHeritage - Timisoara2023 NFT Victor HolotescuPolitehnica University of Timisoara, Romania, Marius Jurca, artist, Timisoara

Hannes Raffaseder - Rector Fachhochschule St. Pölten, Austria - Echoes of the past, signposts to the future! - What could be learned from the digital evolution of music

Martin HonzikChief Curatorial Officer Ars Electronica, Linz, Austria

Moderator: Diana Andone, Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania

11:00 – 11:45

Cultural identities and memories

Mr. Ioan Holender, former Managing Director of the Vienna Opera, Austria

Smaranda Vultur, History and Oral Anthropology Group, Timisoara, Romania

Moderator: Marius Cornea, National Museum of Banat, Timisoara, Romania

11:45 - 12:00 Coffee break

12:00 – 13:15

Cultural audiences and participation in education

Harry Verwayen, Europeana, Director General Europeana Foundation, and Isabel Crespo, Cultural education officer Europeana, Netherlands

Prof. Antonella PoceDirector of the INTELLECT Center, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy

Alessandra GariboldiPresident of Fondazione Fitzcarraldo, Italy

Moderator: Andrei Ternauciuc, Mugur Mocofan, Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania

13:15 - 14:00 Lunch

14:00 – 14:45

Cultural and creative industies communities

Sara Vuletic, Director of Novi Sad European Capital of Culture 2022 cultural program, Serbia

Monique DeletantCEO Artsdepot, London, UK

Moderator: Vlad Mihăescu, Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania

14:45 – 15:45

Digital technologies for museums and tourism

Prof. Timothy JungChair and Professor, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK

Ciprian Stefan, Director Astra Museum Sibiu, Romania

Presentation of Spotlight Heritage Timisoara XR application and International Spotlight Heritage Student Contest, Marius Tetaru, with the international students participating,

Moderator: Silviu Vert, Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania

15:45 - 16:20

Presentation of Erasmus+ AugmentedWearEdu project results of integrating augmented reality in education

Filippo SanfilippoAgder University, Norway

Silviu Vert, Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania

16:20 Conclusions

About the presenters

The speakers will present innovative ideas, solutions, and digital culture projects:

• FH-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Hannes Raffasede, Rector Fachhochschule St. Pölten, Austria, coordinator E³UDRES² European University Alliance, Professor of Digital Media, Music Composer
• Mr. Ioan Holendermusician, baritone, artistic impresario and former Managing Director of the Vienna Opera, former President and Artistic Director of the "George Enescu" International Festival
• Martin HonzikChief Curatorial Officer Ars Electronica, Managing Director Ars Electronica Festival/Export/Prix Ars Electronica
• Prof. Antonella Poce, Director of the INTELLECT Center - Research Center in Heritage Education, Well-Being and Educational Technologies, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Italy, Museum Curator, Specialist in Museum Inclusion
• Alessandra Gariboldi, President Fondazione Fitzcarraldo, Rome, Italy, curator and cultural manager, expert in heritage conservation and audience development
• Harry Verwayen, Europeana, Director General of the Europeana Foundation, and Isabel Crespo Culture and Education Officer Europeana Netherlands, the organisation that manages Europe's digital cultural heritage
• Prof. Timothy JungChair Professor of XR (eXtended Reality), coordinator of the Digital Transformation Knowledge Platform, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, specialist and coordinating author of award-winning virtual and augmented reality applications for culture and tourism
• Monique DeletantCEO Artsdepot, London, UK, award-winning multicultural center with performance and exhibition programs in its theater spaces, studio theater, creative space (research lab), gallery, dance and art, free play space for the children
• Sara VuleticDirector of Novi Sad European Capital of Culture 2022 cultural program, artistic relations management expert, multilingual translator from various English/Serbian/Arabic/Spanish/French registers
• Ciprian StefanDirector Astra Museum Sibiu, Romania
• Dr. Smaranda Vulturinternational researcher, successful contemporary writer, and the coordinator of the History and Oral Anthropology Group, Timisoara
• Sorina Jecza, contemporary art curator and researcher, writer, and cultural manager Triade Foundation Timisoara
• Diana Andone, Prof. Radu Vasiu, Prof.Dr. Silviu Vert, Prof.Dr. Mugur Mocofan, Lect.Dr. Andrei Ternauciuc, Lect.Dr. Vlad Mihaescu, Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania
• Marius Cornea, Zoran Marcov, Ciprian Glăvan, National Museum of Banat

Speakers will give 15-20 minutes thematic presentations, followed by questions from the moderators and a free discussion panel, with questions from both the online and in-situ. In these sessions, the guests will have the role of both speakers and moderators, the aim being to encourage complementary dialogue, facilitate creation environments and generate new creative community ideas, both local and international.

During the conference, participants will have the option of listening to English presentations dubbed into Romanian with a live interpreter, provided by the UPT ID/IFR and e-Learning Centre.