Digital research exhibition grows

The British Library exhibition, Growing Knowledge, the Evolution of Research, has two new interactive digital exhibits to help visitors experience the latest developments in digital research technologies. The new exhibits are: Crossing Over, an interactive 3D exhibit, and Blast Theory’s ‘Riders Have Spoken’, a project investigating methods for archiving and playing back recorded material.

Crossing Over is a computer-based exhibit that gives visitors insight into the ancient Egyptian ritual of crossing-over into the afterlife. Visitors will be able to interact with 3D models of rare and fragile artefacts using 3Dglasses. The exhibit was developed by 3D Encounters , a partnership between UCL’s Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, CMC Associates Ltd, and Arius 3D.

'Typically, objects in a museum display help tell a single story but as 3D images, they can be re-contexted to tell many stories, and become a valuable tool for curators, teachers or interested visitors, even in locations far from the physical museum,' said Tonya L Nelson, manager of The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology. 'Through this exhibit in Growing Knowledge, 3D images will have the potential to inspire a deeper, more diverse understanding of ancient culture, encourage museum visits and expand access to a broad audience.'

Growing Knowledge will also feature Riders Have Spoken, which explores new ways of representing and providing access to location-related data and private and public media collected during an interactive artwork. Riders Have Spoken combines theatre with game play and state of the art technology and continues Blast Theory’s enquiry into performance in the age of personal communication.

Aleks Krotoski, Growing Knowledge, Researcher in Residence, commented: 'These new and unique ways of displaying objects and showcasing personal communication digitally is of immense interest to the library and other organisations. It allows us to know whether or not this is the type of digital interaction that our researchers will come to expect from the library of the future.'

The Growing Knowledge research portals in the exhibition space and the related website component have also been refreshed. This will enable visitors to have enhanced access to the project platform, view a wider array of research tools, and discover ways of engaging with the exhibition by participating in an evaluation programme.

Growing Knowledge, the Evolution of Research runs until 16 July.