Fact, fiction, fantasy: the information impact of virtual heritage

Current research into the representation of cultural heritage via the technology of virtual reality and multimedia is rapidly progressing worldwide. This paper discusses the information impact of virtual heritage (VH) on culturally different mass audiences The emphasis of this research is placed on the users, the receivers, of VH content, what is happening to the person who perceives such information in a real 3D space like a landscape, or in a confined space, or in a substituted space (museum, exhibition gallery, virtual reality, multimedia document, website) and the resulting feedback of this information which plays a role in the users' mind. A classification of themes is presented vis-a-vis cultural groups and the notion of "eternal themes" is introduced. The impact of form and content of VH projects is discussed as possible positive or negative interventions The process of cultural reconfiguration, representation and warping are introduced. This paper presents a preliminary analysis for a more extensive study on the impact of the information design and content of mediated VH.