{"id":77077,"date":"2025-09-18T14:08:37","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T14:08:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/?p=77077"},"modified":"2025-09-19T08:57:37","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T08:57:37","slug":"the-benefits-of-open-heritage-in-the-digital-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/2025\/09\/18\/the-benefits-of-open-heritage-in-the-digital-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"The Benefits of Open Heritage in the Digital Environment"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Landscape
“Watering Place at Marley”<\/a> by Alfred Sisley, 1875, CC0<\/a>, Art Institute of Chicago, remixed with “TAROCH balloon” by Creative Commons\/Dee Harris, 2025, CC0<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

Open Heritage and Contemporary Creativity<\/b><\/h3>\n

\"3D-printedApollo or Venus in your living room?<\/strong> This is the proposition made by Denmark\u2019s Statens Museum for Kunst (SMK) upon openly sharing its vast collection of 3D models of sculptures<\/a>. With SMK\u2019s open files of digital reproductions of sculptures in the public domain, anyone can 3D-print a sculpture of Roman gods Apollo or Venus and use it to create a new object to decorate the living room, among many creative endeavors.<\/p>\n

In this blog post, we highlight some examples of the benefits<\/a> of open heritage and show what becomes possible when barriers are removed and heritage in the public domain is openly accessible.<\/p>\n

When cultural heritage institutions (CHIs) like the SMK openly share their public domain collections in the digital environment, their mission to make heritage available to all really comes alive. Open heritage can prompt curiosity, unlock creativity, spark imagination, spur artistic experimentation, and nurture the contemporary art scene. It allows artists, creators, designers and creative entrepreneurs to have a fresh take on our shared heritage. Open heritage is essential if we want people to be able to interrogate humanity\u2019s cultural record, participate in cultural life, and enjoy the arts without barriers and on equitable terms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Europeana\u2019s <\/span>GIF IT UP<\/span><\/a> annual competition is another great example of creative remixing and storytelling made possible by open heritage. Every year in October, people from around the globe create new GIFs from openly licensed heritage material and share them with the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n