This research project seeks to critically examine the dynamics of platformization in the cultural heritage domain, with a specific focus on the interactions between German cultural institutions and the Google Arts & Culture (GA&C) platform. In the wake of global digital transformation and the global pandemic, digital platforms like GA&C have emerged as potent intermediaries, shaping the ways cultural content is curated, disseminated, and consumed. While such platforms promise democratized access and amplified reach, they also bring forth potential challenges related to autonomy, commodification, and user engagement.
Building upon previous research on U.S.-based institutions, this project aims to understand the unique interplay in the German context, where cultural institutions operate within a different policy environment. Through a combination of critical discourse analysis and semi-structured interviews, the project will explore how GA&C’s governance mechanisms influence the digital strategies of German cultural heritage institutions. It will probe into the motivations behind institutions joining (or not joining) GA&C, their adoption strategies, and their experiences navigating the platform’s infrastructural services, economic logics, and governance mechanisms.
By juxtaposing the platform’s totalizing governance with the localized practices of German cultural institutions, the project hopes to reveal the nuances of digital engagement in the museum sector. It will illuminate the tensions between the democratizing potential of platforms and their propensity to influence, if not dictate, cultural narratives. The findings will not only enrich academic discussions around the politics of digitization and platformization but will also offer practical insights for cultural institutions navigating the digital terrain. This research stands at the intersection of technology, culture, and policy, providing a timely exploration of the evolving relationship between cultural heritage institutions and digital platforms in an increasingly connected world.