2023-10-11 –, News Room
In Gelderland, the Netherlands, over 100 museums exhibit objects that contribute to the province's historical narrative. However, physically bringing these objects together is a challenge, so 35 museums joined forces in the Schatkamers van Gelderland project. The project creates digital 3D replicas of historical objects that can be experienced in a virtual reality game. The game features 70 objects divided into seven historical periods.
Two players meet a professor in the virtual reality game, who needs their help to restore the past. The professor's twin brother invented a time machine to study archaeological objects in their original era. However, his brother's greed leads him to bring the objects to the present, resulting in their disappearance from participating museums. One player enters the VR time machine to travel back in time and search for clues, while the other player has an overview of all the missing artefacts. Together, they match clues with the right object and learn about its historical significance. With the professor's guidance, the players discover how the objects contribute to constructing the historical story of Gelderland.
The hardware for the game is placed in a small booth that resembles a time machine, measuring 3x3 metres. It has travelled across the province since 2021. Schatkamers van Gelderland offers a unique approach to showcasing history and making it accessible to a wider audience. By creating digital replicas of historical objects, the project enables people to experience history. Join this session to learn more.
Erik van Vliet works as advisor at Erfgoed Gelderland. Erik specialises in interactive media solutions and helps museums with the transition to a more interactive and digital way of storytelling. Think digital tours, apps, serious games and virtual and augmented reality.
Erfgoed Gelderland is a cooperation of heritage institutions (200+ members) in the Dutch province of Gelderland funded by the regional administration.