Digital Mediamorphosis in Film, Photography and Architecture

During the last century the electronic media, such as radio, television, audio and video recordings had great impact on the conditions of cultural creation. Since the eighties, digital technologies and new communication channels have introduced a new transformation process: the "digital mediamorphosis" (Smudits 2002). This concept indicates a radically new transformation of cultural creation. The main point of reference of this proposal is the theory of mediamorphoses of cultural creation, which deals mainly with socio-structural, technological, economic, legal or labor-market-related aspects of production, dissemination and consumption. The general focus of the proposal is laid upon cultural creation, furthermore, the research interest is especally on cultural creation in Austria. The main argument of the proposal is that under the impact of the digital mediamorphosis, which shows a radical transformation process, the whole field of cultural production - like at the beginning of the twentienth century - is changed again. This change means a transformation of the professional status, the role and the self-understanding of the cultural workers as well as of the modes of distribution of cultural goods and services. On the basis of the theory and the current status of research on mediamorphoses, which has to the present state been committed mainly in the field of music, the concept of mediamorphoses will be evaluated through research on three fields: film & video, photography and architecture. These fields are chosen because they are very technology-related fields of cultural production and as such especially affected by the processes of the digital mediamorphosis. Before the start of the field-studies, a list of analytical dimensions is developed with which these fields are investigated. After the research these dimensions are evaluated and modified together with the general theory for further research. The central questions are: How are cultural creation and production and their socio-economical conditions in a small country, such as Austria, affected through the transformation incited by the digital mediamorphosis? How are three different fields: film & video, photography and architecture affected? What can be followed by the analysis of the fields on changes of cultural creation in general? How have the self-perception and the professional status of Austrian cultural creators of these fields changed? What can be said through the interpretation of results of the fields about the status of cultural creators in general? Methods to accomplish the project are literature research, secondary data research and analysis, development and evaluation of dimensions and conduction and inter-pretation of qualitative expert interviews.

During the last century the electronic media, such as radio, television, audio and video recordings had great impact on the conditions of cultural creation. Since the eighties, digital technologies and new communication channels have introduced a new transformation process: the "digital mediamorphosis" (Smudits 2002). This concept indicates a radically new transformation of cultural creation. The main point of reference of this proposal is the theory of mediamorphoses of cultural creation, which deals mainly with socio-structural, technological, economic, legal or labor-market-related aspects of production, dissemination and consumption. The general focus of the proposal is laid upon cultural creation, furthermore, the research interest is especally on cultural creation in Austria. The main argument of the proposal is that under the impact of the digital mediamorphosis, which shows a radical transformation process, the whole field of cultural production - like at the beginning of the twentienth century - is changed again. This change means a transformation of the professional status, the role and the self-understanding of the cultural workers as well as of the modes of distribution of cultural goods and services. On the basis of the theory and the current status of research on mediamorphoses, which has to the present state been committed mainly in the field of music, the concept of mediamorphoses will be evaluated through research on three fields: film & video, photography and architecture. These fields are chosen because they are very technology-related fields of cultural production and as such especially affected by the processes of the digital mediamorphosis. Before the start of the field-studies, a list of analytical dimensions is developed with which these fields are investigated. After the research these dimensions are evaluated and modified together with the general theory for further research. The central questions are: How are cultural creation and production and their socio-economical conditions in a small country, such as Austria, affected through the transformation incited by the digital mediamorphosis? How are three different fields: film & video, photography and architecture affected? What can be followed by the analysis of the fields on changes of cultural creation in general? How have the self-perception and the professional status of Austrian cultural creators of these fields changed? What can be said through the interpretation of results of the fields about the status of cultural creators in general? Methods to accomplish the project are literature research, secondary data research and analysis, development and evaluation of dimensions and conduction and inter-pretation of qualitative expert interviews.