This virtual exhibition was created as part of the international online course Things that Matter 2026: Material and Culture in/for the Digital Age. Throughout the course, we explored how the ongoing digitization of cultural heritage is transforming the ways in which historical objects, collections, and sources can be studied, interpreted, and presented.

The central aim of the course was to develop a digital exhibition based on an object or an object group. In doing so, we engaged with both the practical and conceptual challenges of presenting cultural heritage online.

Our project emerged from the collaboration of students from the Universities of Bern, Durham, Groningen, Stellenbosch, and Tübingen. Working across institutions, countries, and disciplines, we combined our perspectives and expertise to create a virtual exhibition that connects the material history of the objects with their digital representation.

Project Team

• Mark Bellmann (University of Groningen)

• Sascha Brunner (University of Bern)

• Stepan Kachalin (Durham University)

• Adson Ndyanabo (Stellenbosch University)

• Frank Rypalla (University of Tübingen)