On February 20, under the title “In the Orbit of Possibilities,” more than 60 students from the inter-university master’s program in Digital Methodology in the Humanities and Cultural Studies presented their practical projects at the LUX Pavilion at Mainz University of Applied Sciences. Through a one-day pop-up exhibition, they showcased the results of their various projects and provided exciting insights into the diversity of digital methods. At the same time, by organizing the event independently, the students gained practical experience in event planning and project management.
Exhibition and Interactive Displays
A special focus of the exhibition was on interactive exhibits covering the topics of data preparation and analysis, gamification, natural language processing, and web technologies, which were implemented using Raspberry Pi’s. Visitors were thus able to engage with the diverse applications of digital methodologies in a hands-on manner and learn about their relevance to research fields in the humanities and cultural studies. The presentation of the so-called “Digital Humanities Planets” also provided a thematic overview of the various subfields of the digital humanities.
Five of the 15 projects were supervised at i3mainz. These projects focused on the online publication of cylinder seals, the quality analysis of 3D models, the annotation of cuneiform tablets, the processing of a dataset on postwar modernism, and interaction with archaeological objects in the VR-CAVE at Mainz University of Applied Sciences.
Left: A Raspberry Pi with an E-Ink Display HAT displays various symbolic images on the topic of “data preparation.” Right: A Raspberry Pi with a breadboard and short-stroke switches for selecting the respective applications from the practical projects. Photos: Ann-Kathrin Vollmers, CC BY SA 4.0
Panel Discussion and Career Prospects
After a short refreshment break, a panel discussion titled “Beyond the Orbit of Digital Possibilities into Distant Galaxies” took place with Luise Borek, Sarah Oberbichler, Elisabeth Pilhofer, and Timo Homburg. Here, the panelists shed light on various career paths and fields of work in the digital humanities from their respective perspectives. The discussion provided students with valuable insights into their future career opportunities and offered a space for an open exchange about the opportunities and challenges in the (academic) job market.
Networking and Wrap-Up
The evening concluded in a relaxed atmosphere with drinks and snacks. In numerous conversations, students, faculty, and guests exchanged ideas about the presented projects as well as potential collaborations and career paths. The high turnout and keen interest in the showcased projects underscore the relevance of digital methods for the humanities and cultural studies and highlight the potential of innovative approaches in this field. The evening event, exhibition, and accompanying course were funded by the President’s Innovation Fund as part of the “LEHRimpuls 2025” initiative; without this funding, this type of integration of teaching, practice, and knowledge transfer would not have been possible.
