Immersive historical experiences are becoming increasingly prominent due to the growing range of technological solutions available. In contrast to monuments connected with recent history, archaeological sites often stem from distant and abstract periods, making them harder for visitors to comprehend and relate to. Nevertheless, the accumulation of thousands of years of history contributes to the site’s uniqueness. Broader audiences may prefer forms of engagement that allow them to touch objects or reconstructions, listen to narrated histories, or experience the past through immersive virtual reality, potentially creating an emotional connection with the past (Kurisoo et al. 2024).

In this presentation, I will discuss immersive historical experiences. I will begin by introducing some of my own visual and audio projects, developed in cooperation with performance artists for museum and archaeological/historical sites, together with observations based on visitor responses. I will then move on to my own experiences as a visitor. The aim of this presentation is to offer ideas and to spark discussion about what constitutes an immersive historical experience, whether it is fully achievable, and how much immersion a project or exhibition should include before the experience becomes overwhelming.

First Author: Küllike Tint

Keywords:
public
immersive
performance
museum
exhibition