smARTplaces

The EU »smARTplaces« project is carving new paths for art and cultural education: cultural institutions are set to become »smart«, intelligent places of artistic discovery. The focus of the intervention is on museum visitors, their interests and their needs. The EU cultural promotion programme will be supporting the project over the next few years with two million euros. As well as the ZKM, the network has further partners in the form of eight cultural institutions from all across Europe and two universities. The think tank will play a leading role, coordinating from the Dortmunder U building.

»Audience development« is one of the major topics of the future for museums and cultural sites in the whole of Europe. In the increasingly digital world, there are also great opportunities for cultural institutions. Not only can they adapt their offers to the changing needs and desires of their public, but they can also gain new target visitor groups. In a large-scale EU project, the partners will be testing audience development strategies in multiple model phases until 2020.

Networking at all levels

The main goal of »smart places« is primarily the development of new target groups via innovative digital offers. As well as sharing media skills, the participating cultural sites can also network on several levels, in order to form synergies amongst one another, not only regarding curating, but also in terms of addressing visitors. Moreover, the project is also intended to initiate an expansion of the known room for curatorial creation, and at the same time a change management within the institutions. Art and cultural institutions will also be accommodating the needs of their target groups, which have been changed by the digital transformation.

Enhance visitor experiences in the digital world

The ZKM is focussing the digitalisation of services and a seamless enhancement of the visitor experience on the digital world. The digital networking of visitors with the real location will be initiated using an agile toolbox whereby social web tools, platforms and location-based services are connected. Augmented reality (AR), adaptive storytelling approaches and gamification elements will also be applied just as much as the strengthening of teaching skills in the world of storytelling.

The smARTplaces partner network

Eight cultural institutions and two universities from eight countries are involved in the »smARTplaces« project:

• Dortmunder U, Dortmund (Germany)
• Musée de Picardie, Amiens (France)
• WIELS Contemporary Art Centre, Brussels (Belgium)
• ETOPIA - Centre for Art and Technology, Zaragoza (Spain)
• Van Abbemuseum Eindhoven (Netherlands)
• ZKM (Centre for Art and Media), Karlsruhe (Germany)
• Azkuna Zentroa, Bilbao (Spain)
• Birmingham City University (England)
• Oulu University of Applied Sciences (Finland)
• Liechtenstein National Museum (Liechtenstein)

The European Centre for Creative Economies (ECCE) and the EUROCITIES network are supporting the project as strategic partners. Project duration: 4 years (1^st June 2016 to 31^st May 2020)