Remixing Industrial Pasts in the Digital Age
REMIX
Following the success of the temporary history lab in September and October 2020, the REMIX team sorted and evaluated the sources collected, which include digitised versions of private photo albums. Drawing on the personal contacts that were established during the lab, some 25 oral history interviews were conducted, recorded and filmed. The REMIX Lecture Series continued with presentations from eight experts from institutions in the Greater Region. The team organised a second international workshop, “Digitising Industrial Heritage”, at which ten researchers presented papers on 17-18 June 2021. Team members also presented their work at other international workshops and symposia, and the first REMIX research paper by Julia Harnoncourt was accepted for publication in the journal Hémecht.
Working on two exhibitions
In collaboration with Esch2022, the artist collective Tokonoma and the architecture firm 2F Architettura, the REMIX team started work on a multimedia exhibition in the Massenoire, a former industrial hall in Belval. It will run from 27 February to 15 May 2022. In the exhibition, entitled “Remixing Industrial Pasts: Constructing the Identity of the Minett”, audiovisual narratives unfold around three main themes: industry, people and landscapes. Using analogue slide projections and audio collages, a remix of fragmented stories is presented throughout the exhibition hall. Historical films, photographs and documents, sounds and voices will engage all the senses, turning the industrial history of the Minett into an immersive experience for visitors. The team worked in close cooperation with the artists for the drafting of texts for the wall panels and brochure, the selection of excerpts from textual and audiovisual sources, and the compilation of visual materials.
In parallel, the team continued to work on the “Minett stories” virtual exhibition. In collaboration with the Milan-based design studio Calibro, wireframes and mockups of the website were drafted and revised. Storyboards and scripts were developed for some 20 different exhibition chapters. The focus was on different forms of digital storytelling: an interactive video documentary, two graphic novels, an interactive map, a radio play and several interactive podcasts. The virtual exhibition will be launched on 14 May 2022.
Minett Stories Rallye
Another milestone of REMIX will be the launch of the “Minett Stories Rallye” mobile game. The gaming platform has been developed by our colleague Sandra Camarda in collaboration with the University of Luxembourg VR/AR Lab [insert link to https://vrarlab.uni.lu ]. The mobile game will take players on a journey through landmarks and relics of the former Belval ironworks. By solving riddles and following a trail of clues, they will discover nine secret locations connected to the history of Belval’s industrial past. The Rallye will extend the multimedia exhibition outside the walls of the Massenoire, strengthening its connections to the region and its stories, while providing an experience that is both fun and educational.
FNR PSP award 2021
Finally, the achievements of the REMIX team were recognised by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR), with the 2021 “Outstanding Promotion of Science to the Public” award going to the interactive video installation “Historical Voices from the Minett”, shown during the temporary history lab in 2020. The video installation, another collaborative project with the artist collective Tokonoma, presented six life stories from the Minett in an easily accessible and engaging way. Well done to all those involved!
