Augmented reality and cultural heritage, a rising trend between history and the future

Augmented reality and cultural heritage, a rising trend between history and the future

Imagine admiring a beautiful Renaissance painting, a statue from the time of Pericles with the ability of being able to listen the artist who made it. Today, thanks to Augmented Reality, approaching art becomes a 360 ° experience, involving lovers of cultural and non-cultural heritage. Immersive technologies, which kept cultural tourism alive during the lockdown, have now been cleared and are destined to innovate the experiences of cultural heritage in a definitive way, enhancing the goods on display thanks to the power of emotions. From these beginnings the trend has been towards a growing mixture of these two aspects, with the aim of creating scientific virtual reconstructions but, at the same time increasing the amount of accessory information made available to users, increasingly organized in database.

Augmented Reality is not only the future but is already present in many sectors. In recent years there is an increasing need to innovate the world around us. From food and travel to art, cinema and museums. The relationship between Augmented Reality and Art represents the natural consequence of a long process of digital evolution that is affecting the museum sector. The choice of offering visitors an emotional as well as informative and experiential path for the transmission of knowledge is particularly effective and attractive. Especially towards the younger generations. The application of Augmented Reality in art and cultural heritage actually transforms the visit to the museum into a multisensory experience. It enriches the use of works of art with additional information and interactive content. By connecting with a smartphone, the visitor becomes more involved and active, literally immersed in a unique virtual context with a high emotional impact.

The study of the city and the historical landscape increasingly makes use of different methods for analysis, interpretation and communication through digital technologies. This is the model on which Wonder Salerno, one of the latest projects linked to the Wonderlab universe, will be based. In a virtual city, on the other hand, the possibilities of exchanging information multiply, passing from the static reconstruction to the simulation that provides a feeling of immersion in the virtual environment, allows you to interact with virtual objects and to define one or more narrative paths to facilitate the experiential approach. The central idea of the Wonder Salerno project will see the creation of innovative multimedia technological contents that will become, for users, a continuous opportunity to visit Salerno with the result of experiencing an interactive journey in a unique and always different context. The theme of the representations, in fact, will be closely related to the history of the territory and the reference area. Some "virtual" shows will be the following:

- The Salerno Medical School, in which spectators will observe a dialogue between teacher and student or will see a moment of application of the notions learned for the care of the sick

- The Lombard life of Salerno, in which, walking through the historic center, you will see scenes from the life of the time, through a narrated path with well-defined points of interest in which the viewer can explore moments of interest

- Roberto il Guiscardo, episodes from the life of the Norman prince