Research Question

Can a digital platform successfully narrate the contemporary artistic landscape of a specific context, mediate its contents, and act as a lever for change? Can it stimulate user engagement by conveying information and fostering a network capable of supporting territorial cohesion? This research project aims to develop a digital platform in the form of a web documentary to narrate contemporary Sicilian art, exploring how it can serve as a tool for change through user participation. The platform, therefore, seeks not only to perform a mediating role but also to stimulate co-creation, positioning itself within cultural welfare practices for the territory. The contemporary Sicilian art scene currently lacks an effective archive. Connecting the digital sphere and the community is the real challenge. In this scenario, web documentaries emerge as an innovative solution.

Methodology for Achieving the Objectives

The project follows a practice-based approach, in which the platform is both the tool and the outcome of the research. The research methodology is mixed, combining qualitative and quantitative tools. An initial online questionnaire has already been conducted, addressed to both professionals and non-professionals born and/or resident in Sicily, and has received 390 responses. The aim was to understand the sample’s perceptions, preferences, and attitudes towards contemporary art in the territory, to design an appropriate user experience for the web documentary currently under development. Following the online publication of the web documentary, data will be collected and analyzed to validate the project’s premises and continuously enrich the tool.

Case Studies

The platform is currently under development and is based on an in-depth analysis of digital technologies for the enhancement of artistic heritage, applications of cultural welfare, contemporary Sicilian art, and the S.A.C.S. (Sportello dell’Arte Contemporanea della Sicilia) of RISO – Regional Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Palermo. The investigation into web documentaries is ongoing through a study of user experience design (UX/UI), following the collaboration with Prof. Samuel Gantier at UPHF in Valenciennes, France, and of interactive practices related to documentary, at Labdoc (Laboratoire de recherche sur les pratiques audiovisuelles documentaires), UQAM in Montréal, Quebec, in collaboration with Prof. Viva Paci.

Data Analysis and Interpretation of Results

The data collected through the questionnaire show that professionals perceive contemporary art as distant from the public, with limited visibility for artists due to insufficient networks and communication. For the non-specialized public, art should stimulate reflection and engagement. For both groups, the need emerged for a digital platform that prioritizes video, engages with universal emotions, centers on artists, and is supported by appropriate mediation. The digital platform currently being designed will respond adequately to these needs.