Purpose and objectives of the book
Through cases and examples, the authors examine how artists and art institutions, such as museums, and the creative industries are facing the challenge posed by digital transformation in the age of the sharing economy. Specifically, this book examines how digital technology can lead to
Digital transformation 5 institutional turbulence and change the way arts and creativity are produced and consumed. The authors investigate how arts and creativity-based organizations are addressing such profound technological shifts, as issues of authenticity, legitimacy, control, trust, and co-creation arise whenever digital disintermediation processes occur. The book clearly identifies the main managerial implications that arts and culture administrators need to be conscious of to take advantage of digital transformation strategically as they enter a more dynamic era of the art and creativity production and consumption.
In particular, the book aims to:
- 1 delve into the phenomenon of digital transformation and sharing economy in the cultural and creative sectors, looking at it from a multidisciplinary perspective—characterized by dialectic dynamics between the managerial and the artistic lens—and taking into account the stance of the diverse stakeholders involved;
- 2 outline and analyze successful cases of arts organizations to show how the theory is turned into practice;
- 3 employ a multidisciplinary perspective and a variety of research methods, both quantitative and qualitative to explore the phenomena at study;
- 4 provide practitioners with an enhanced understanding of the phenomenon of digital transformation in the art and come up with implications and recommendations for arts managers; bring together and build a community of international art scholars and managers to investigate the phenomenon of digital transformation in the art.
The phenomenon of digital transformation in the art is dealt with by showing concrete cases of organizations that used digital technology strategically. The presentation of the cases is supported by data collected both directly and indirectly, that is, interviews, surveys, and secondary data.
Conclusion and introduction to the chapters
The book is organized as follows. Chapters 2, 3, 4, and 5 deal with new digital technologies in the museum context. Digital transformation has entered museums, with the introduction of tools, including gamification, augmented reality, and apps, which make art more democratic and much closer to users (Jarrier & Bourgeon-Renault, 2012). These chapters will show how museums are increasingly embracing digital transformation for “the display, promotion and conservation of their collections” and for providing their visitors with “a unique experience” (Samdanis, 2016, p. 2). Digital transformation allows museums to reach new audiences, as it democratizes access to art by making art collections available without limitations of time, money, or location (Enhuber, 2015). The implementation ofdigital technology in museums favors an active customer engagement with art, thereby fostering art education (Enhuber, 2015). In particular, Chapter 2 presents the results of an ethnographic study conducted at MUDEC, the Museum of Cultures based in Milan, Italy, an institution that has particularly embraced digital transformation. Chapter 3 explains the phenomenon of gamification applied to art, while Chapter 4 makes the case for gaming as a means of audience development in a museum. Chapter 5 addresses digital transformation issues from the perspective of tour guides.
Digital transformation has also affected the management of cultural heritage. 3D acquisition and modeling technologies have been defined ideal for the recording of heritage sites (Guidi et al., 2009; Corns & Shaw 2009). This technology allows for generating “digital simulacrum of a real artifact, and the availability of digital tools for manipulating, exploring, comparing and explaining a virtual object,” thus greatly increasing “the comprehension and the valorization of monuments” (Guidi & Russo, 2011, p. 71). Further, digital technology turns users into active content creators, thus empowering them as cocreators of value (Prahalad & Ramaswamy, 2004). For instance, projects such as Cyark (cyark.org), 3D Icons (http://3dicons-project. eu/), and Scottish Ten (scottishten.org) that digitally record, archive, and share cultural heritage are examples of the application of such technology. Projects such as Curious Travellers, the Million Image Database, Heritage Together, and Share Our Cultural Heritage take a step further in that they are not only aimed at the documentation of archaeological sites and monuments but also employ crowdsourced data (Dhonju et al., 2018). Other projects, such as Rekrei (Massi & D’Angelo, 2020), take advantage of photogrammetry, an innovative technology that allows to create a 3D model by using two-dimensional images of the same object taken from different angles (Remondino, 2011). Chapters 6 and 7 delve into digital transformation applied to heritage conservation.
The music industry has been strongly influenced by the technological changes brought about by digital transformation. Chapter 8 investigates how the digital evolution has benefited the musical world, facilitating the production of musical products and allowing a wider distribution. This chapter also shows how the innovations introduced have substantially changed the structure of the music industry, producing a series of notable changes from an economic perspective.
Performing arts organizations have represented for many years an important way for individuals and communities to connect, be entertained, and have important conversations. Yet audience expectations have been changing rapidly, and place-independent access to information and entertainment has become common place (CAPACOA, 2018). Chapter 9 aims to understand how digital innovation is affecting performing arts organizations in the context of live concerts.
Digital transformation has led to a real revolution in the film industry, determining the definitive abandonment of the film: a necessary change
Digital transformation 7 that also had a reflection on film production, distribution, and consumption. By removing the physical number of copies, and eliminating the cost of printing logistics and delivery, the benefits and advantages of digital transformation have affected the whole industry as well as the consumer. The latter can take advantage of an enrichment of the schedule that completes the cinematographic offer also with a series of alternative, or “additional” contents, such as live events—concerts, operas, sports, didactics, and a more organized and complete schedule of films. Chapter 10 deals with the disruptive effects of digital transformation in the context of gender issues, while Chapter 11 shows how fashion and luxury sectors have fully adopted digital transformation. The increase in multi-channel and personalized services shows that, from an organizational point of view, many brands have overcome the historical gap between e-commerce channels and physical stores. Numerous brands, including Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Tod’s, Valentino, and Prada, have introduced personalized shopping services, such as personal shoppers available via messages, telephone, or e-mail, as sales assistants who create personal relationships with customers via e-mail, the possibility of making an appointment in a store, and offer tailor-made services for tailored clothes.
Finally, Chapters 12, 13, and 14 analyze with how digital tools can be applied in art organizations to pursue different purposes. Chapter 12 examines the role of social media in the museum context. Even if the visual art world seems to be still reluctant to a full digital adaptation that characterized all the other sectors, a growing number of museums extensively apply social media and digital technology to their daily work and exhibitions, making art accessible to everyone anytime and anywhere. Chapter 13 focuses on digital workers in the context of a cultural festival, and Chapter 14 examines how digital transformation impacted donor management and fundraising in the arts.
