The “Hyper-Presence” of Cultural Heritage in Shaping Collective Memory

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) uses sensorial mimetics to construct collective memory in virtual space. The regeneration of high-definition cultural heritage symbols transforms memory into an immediate experience that is constantly being renewed, strengthens the relationship between cultural heritage and contemporary society, and continually affects the persistent renewal of cultural traditions. Hyper-presence is a networked state of cognitive psychology that lies in links, interactions, and exchanges; it is the result of networked social minds and distributed cognition. In the contemporary moment, cultural heritage takes on three types of progressively developed presence: simulated restoration presence, informationally reproduced presence, and symbolically regenerated presence. Symbolic regeneration belongs to the realm of hyper-presence. Building databases with data collected on cultural heritage is the foundation of building a cognitive agent. As a platform, VR becomes an efficient mode of information dissemination, forming an independent presence for cultural heritage through the reproduction of media and information. In a network society, informatized cultural heritage becomes a source for the production of new cultural symbols, and presence is created through the continuous regeneration and dissemination of symbols. Symbols and regenerated symbols combine to constitute the hyper-presence of informatized cultural heritage; people's understanding of cultural heritage therefore exists in an ever-changing state. Intelligences with presence on the network form a complete system, and VR creates comprehensive cognition for the system through high-definition virtuality. Formed in the coordination between intelligences, collective memory creates its hyper-presence today.