Constellations of Cinematic Knowledge // Constellation 2.0
Constellations inspire virtual museum experience
Contact
Katharina Ewald
Project Manager Constellations
Phone: +49 69 961 220 404
ewald@dff.film
Constellations reflect stories of heroes, gods, myths, and adventure. They attest to a creative storytelling tradition that spans millennia. In maritime history, long before GPS and satellite navigation, explorers, pirates, and traders used constellations and their imaginative connections to find their way along foreign shores and across vast oceans. In Greek mythology, for example, the nymph Callisto was transformed by Zeus’ jealous wife Hera into the Great Bear and then appeared as a constellation in the night sky.
The DFF (Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum), with its exhibits, archives and collections, is full of stories. It invites visitors to explore these narratives in the virtual museum experience “Konstellationen// Constellations”. Visitors can collect special objects from selected exhibits and discover fascinating connections to other objects in the DFF’s exhibitions, archives, and collections, as well as those of its project partners.
Within the permanent exhibition, 50 objects are equipped with barcode scanners or collection screens. Visitors can scan their unique bar-coded collection card at these points to digitally record the objects. On large touch screens in the foyers of the exhibition rooms, visitors can scan their cards again to view a beautifully designed overview of their collection.
Project partner ACMI in Australia
In collaboration with the ACMI Museum for Screen Culture in Melbourne, the DFF has been exploring an innovative hybrid approach to storytelling and curating since August 2021. Since 2022, ACMI in Melbourne has been offering visitors the chance to discover connections between exhibits and other visual art objects through engaging and informative narratives. To facilitate this, ACMI has incorporated the specially developed collection tool Lens into its exhibition design. The Lens features a chip that enables contactless scanning and “collecting” of museum objects. Building on ACMI’s experiences, the DFF has developed its own concept to provide visitors with a virtual extension of their DFF visit.
Regional Constellations: Collaboration with the Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt
The regional version of the project connects the objects of the DFF with the extensive art and natural history collections of the Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt (HLMD). The museum educators of the HLMD have selected exhibits from the fossil finds of the Messel Pit, design and craftsmanship, and the multi-room focusing on Joseph Beuys. These exhibits are linked to the objects in the DFF through storytelling, creating unusual and often remarkable relationships between the two museums. Regional Constellations is supported by the Aventis Foundation and the Kulturfonds Frankfurt Rhein-Main.
The project receives advisory support from MESO Digital Interiors, a key player in Frankfurt’s creative industry. MESO also designed the technical adaptation of the DFF’s exhibition spaces for the Constellations museum experience.
Our Podcasts on Constellation 2.0
Admittedly, Constellation 2.0 is not easy to explain. That’s why we talk to experts who truly understand it and publish these conversations as podcasts on our website every two to three months.
Podcast 1: What is Constellation 2.0? (German)
Project coordinator Katharina Ewald discusses the stories that visitors can explore within the Constellation 2.0 project, expanding the museum visit into the virtual realm.
Podcast 2: Hybrid Space Design (German)
How can museum spaces be designed and digitally enhanced to remain interesting for different types of visitors? Project manager Katharina Ewald discusses this topic with MESO director Sebastian Oschatz in the second Constellation podcast.
Podcast 3: Two directors in exchange on Constellation 2.0 (English)
Ellen Harrington, Director of the DFF, and Seb Chan, Director of the Museum for Screen Culture ACMI in Melbourne, discuss the Australian Constellation project.
Podcast 4: Constellation 2.0 regional: Frankfurt and Darmstadt tell stories (German)
Art historian and museum educator Stephanie Hauschild from the Hessian State Museum Darmstadt in conversation with Nils Brunschede from the DFF about telling compelling stories through art.
Podcast 5: Roanna Rahman and Katharina Ewald Showcase the Objects of Constellation 2.0 (English)
Roanna Rahman photographs the exhibits and objects in the archives for DFF. Join Constellation 2.0 project manager Katharina Ewald as they take you behind the scenes, discussing their intricate work with these precious items (in English).
Podcast 6: Tech Talk on Constellation 2.0 with Colleagues from Melbourne (English)
Lucie Paterson, User Experience Expert, and Sam Maher, Game Developer and Programmer, join Sanne Hemmerling to delve into the architecture behind Constellation 2.0. Sam and Lucie are part of the original Constellation project at the DFF’s partner institution, the Museum for Screen Culture ACMI in Melbourne, Australia.
Podcast 7: Exploring DFF’s Digital Collection Management with Kristina and Kathleen (German)
Join Kristina Rose and Kathleen Benecke as they talk about DFF’s digital collection management. They highlight the significance of well-structured data in crafting narratives around selected objects in the “Constellation 2.0” project.
Podcast 8: Preview of an Exciting Museum Experience (German)
Katharina Ewald reflects on the challenge of simplifying a complex idea, shares insights from the “Constellations 2.0” project journey, and discusses the stories, information, and recommendations that film enthusiasts can look forward to taking home.
Constellations of Cinematic Knowledge // Constellation 2.0 is supported by the Culture Digital program of the German Federal Cultural Foundation.
