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Immersive Art and the Transformation of Cultural Heritage Narratives

https://doi.org/10.25281/2072-3156-2026-23-1-42-52

Abstract

In an era of rapid technological advancement, art has become an important form of cultural expression, changing the ways we perceive and experience culture. This article aims to analyze the narrative transformation of cultural heritage and its mythological underpinnings through the example of V. van Gogh’s static oil paintings and immersive art in the project V. van Gogh: An Immersive Journey. It focuses on the contribution of immersive art to the understanding and interpretation of cultural heritage.

The study focuses on how immersive art breaks the limitations of traditional cultural heritage narratives and provides audiences with a deeper sense of engagement and emotional resonance. Drawing on narratological theory and expressionist art, the study integrates immersive technologies such as multisensory interaction, dynamic presentation, and spatial arrangement, and explores their innovative application in cultural heritage narratives. The study’s findings demonstrate that immersive art offers significant innovative potential for cultural heritage storytelling, effectively overcoming the limitations of traditional static displays and providing audiences with a more emotionally charged, multi-layered experience. Immersive art activates images and places them in a multidimensional space, allowing viewers to explore emotional changes and narrative developments over time through sensory-realistic interaction and positional movement, resulting in a deeply emotional experience and a more personalized interpretation. Furthermore, immersive art breaks the limitations of traditional linear narratives, allowing audiences to experience the diversity and complexity of history in multiple dimensions. It is concluded that immersive art not only expands the boundaries of cultural heritage narratives but also transforms the viewer’s role into that of co-creator. This will open up greater opportunities for the dissemination of cultural heritage.

About the Authors

Xiao Yi Zheng
Far Eastern Federal University
Russian Federation

10 Ajax Bay, Russky Island, Vladivostok, 690922, Russia

ORCID 0009-0009-2881-1001



Galina V. Alekseeva
Far Eastern Federal University
Russian Federation

Far Eastern Federal University,

10 Ajax Bay, Russky Island, Vladivostok, 690922, Russia

ORCID 0000-0001-6733-9429; SPIN 2263-0610



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  • Immersive art transforms cultural heritage narratives and the role of the viewer.
  • Van Gogh’s static paintings become living narratives in an immersive environment.
  • Multisensory technologies enhance the emotional perception of artistic images.
  • Non-linear space enables new ways of experiencing myths and artistic symbolism.
  • In immersive art, the viewer becomes a co-creator of the cultural narrative.

Review

For citations:


Zheng X., Alekseeva G.V. Immersive Art and the Transformation of Cultural Heritage Narratives. Observatory of Culture. 2026;23(1):42-52. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.25281/2072-3156-2026-23-1-42-52

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ISSN 2072-3156 (Print)
ISSN 2588-0047 (Online)