Abstract
The cross-cutting introduction of digital technologies into museum infrastructure activates a process of reinterpretation of digital languages within the museum narrative framework. From this perspective, the spread of phygital phenomena, such as contextual interaction between physical and digital worlds, is recontextualised within the field of cultural heritage and museums, revealing narrative and experiential potential in the capacity to express the evocative component of the spaces and artworks on display, through digital and interactive abilities. The contamination between physical space and digital layer is constructed starting from the stories to be told, orchestrated by the body gestures of visitors. The paper presents a taxonomy of phygital experiences, conceived as analytical tool to guide the relationships between digital level, spatial context, and visitors. This taxonomy offers a perspective for the theoretical and applied investigation of phygital narratives within the museum, describing the design characteristics and extrapolating orientation for future research.
Keywords
Phygital experiences; hybrid museum; interactive storytelling; body gestures
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1041
Citation
Miano, A. (2026) Why is the artwork no longer enough? Phygital narratives as an interplay between the real and the digital, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1041
Creative Commons License
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Included in
Why is the artwork no longer enough? Phygital narratives as an interplay between the real and the digital
The cross-cutting introduction of digital technologies into museum infrastructure activates a process of reinterpretation of digital languages within the museum narrative framework. From this perspective, the spread of phygital phenomena, such as contextual interaction between physical and digital worlds, is recontextualised within the field of cultural heritage and museums, revealing narrative and experiential potential in the capacity to express the evocative component of the spaces and artworks on display, through digital and interactive abilities. The contamination between physical space and digital layer is constructed starting from the stories to be told, orchestrated by the body gestures of visitors. The paper presents a taxonomy of phygital experiences, conceived as analytical tool to guide the relationships between digital level, spatial context, and visitors. This taxonomy offers a perspective for the theoretical and applied investigation of phygital narratives within the museum, describing the design characteristics and extrapolating orientation for future research.