Virtual reality as a technology of memory: Immersive presence in Polish politics of memory

Experiences that take place in virtual reality (VR) become part of users’ autobiographical memory. As memories can impact users’ self-perception, personal beliefs, and social interactions, storyliving in VR narratives can be used to manipulate memory and mould users’ self according to the preference...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Memory, mind & media mind & media, 2023, Vol.2, Article e7
Main Author: Kazlauskaitė, Rūta
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Autobiographical memory
Cultural heritage
Emotions
Memories
Memory
Museums
Narratives
Perceptions
Politics
Prostheses
Social interaction
Social networks
Technology
Virtual reality
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Summary:Experiences that take place in virtual reality (VR) become part of users’ autobiographical memory. As memories can impact users’ self-perception, personal beliefs, and social interactions, storyliving in VR narratives can be used to manipulate memory and mould users’ self according to the preferences of the VR narrative creators. Poland's Ministry of Culture and National Heritage has, in recent years, generously invested in the production of VR films that depict events from the Polish historical canon. VR is a spatial technology that positions users ‘inside’ a virtual storyworld and leverages users’ sense of body position and movement to enhance memory and a sense of presence. Three dimensions of presence – self, social, and spatial – are relevant to understanding the role of VR in the politics of memory. The article interrogates a recent Polish VR production, Wiktoria 1920 (2020, dir. Tomasz Dobosz), and argues that VR representations exploit a sense of presence to shape users’ memory, perspective, and emotions in relation to the past.
ISSN:2635-0238
2635-0238
DOI:10.1017/mem.2023.9