Cultural Digital newsletter #131
Cultural Digital
Hello
I'm back again. This week we have AR, AI, AMZN, and more.
Move Mirror is one of Google's latest toys and is an AI experiment with pose estimation in the browser using TensorFlow.js in case you were wondering. Go on, strike a pose.
AR things
David Bowie Is Virtual. Coming soon "a digital recreation of the exhibition on smartphones as an augmented reality experience. In the spring, a redesigned ‘David Bowie is’ will arrive on all major virtual reality platforms".
Audio Visual technology in museums - bringing the Terracotta Warriors to life. "When it was announced in December 2016 that part of the Terracotta Warriors collection would be exhibited at World Museum Liverpool, it led to one of the largest uses of audio visual (AV) and augmented reality (AR) in the organisation’s history".
TV and film things
Marquee.TV is another streaming platform for the arts. This one is part of the NEW INC tech/culture incubator, and brings together the people behind the long-running TenduTV and one of the people behind the now defunct Canvas.
Artificial Intelligence Is Automating Hollywood. Now, Art Can Thrive. "The next time you sit down to watch a movie, the algorithm behind your streaming service might recommend a blockbuster that was written by AI, performed by robots, and animated and rendered by a deep learning algorithm. An AI algorithm may have even read the script and suggested the studio buy the rights". I watched the recent Jumanji the other day. Ain't nothing intelligent about that.
La culture, nouveau terrain d’influence des youtubeurs. "Les partenariats entre de jeunes vidéastes et les acteurs du monde de la culture se multiplient, mais le statut de ces échanges reste encore à définir".
Data things
UK researcher says one line of code caused Ticketmaster breach. Whoops. "…Web developers should be extremely careful what third-party JavaScript code is placed within the payment and personal information processes of their sites". Not just developers - if you're using Google Tag Manager then please make sure you understand any non-standard tags people/agencies are putting in your container.
As Museums Across Europe Grapple With New Data Protection Regulations, One Artist Is Pushing Them to Think Differently "The V&A's artist-in-residence, Rachel Ara, has a digital sculpture at the Whitechapel that is watching visitors’ every move" and probably alienated the IT dept in the process.
Other things
The Most Important Factor For Digital Success Within Cultural Organizations. It's engagement (#savedyouaclick).
Blockchain could be “subtle botox” for the art market but not a “facelift”. This is a report from an event held by Christie's and, from the quotes, nobody seemed all that convinced. I did laugh at the quote from the person warning that this might let money launderers into the art market. As if that horse hasn't long since bolted.
You’re invited to the GIF Party!: An Interview with Ferren Gipson. Art UK are the latest organisation to join the art gif party (see also the Bodleian, Tate, Waddesdon, and the Palace Museum in Beijing). You can see them on Giphy and they're asking for more.
A couple of things related to the big evil shop in the sky. Amazon’s Audiobook Boom, and NPR, KUOW explore potential of fundraising through Alexa.
Jobs
There are digital-related jobs available at Art UK, the Crafts Council, and the Natural History Museum.
I've got a bit of a backlog of good stuff to work through, so I can say with some confidence that next week there will be darkness, phantoms, and tea towels. Intriguing, huh? Catch you then.
Chris Unitt
The Library is a treasure trove of arts/digital info. It's just been updated with new websites and some extra examples of job descriptions. Find out more about The Library.