Developing digital cultural experiences

© Vapriikki photo archives

Discussions and development of the Tampere use cases have officially started.

The use cases focus on digital cultural experiences, and they will be piloted in two locations in Tampere city centre: The western city centre, the area rich with cultural institutions, heritage and resources, and Nokia Arena, a next-generation event experience centre designed for major events.

Use case 1: Public Art on the Map

In the first pilot, Public Art on the Map, citizens and visitors can unlock the history of iconic public artwork through a map-based mobile application or website. In addition to digitizing existing materials related to public art, the pilot also aims to produce new engaging digital content (e.g., AR). A new coordination model for public art projects will be designed to strengthen the planning and implementation of public art processes, but also to recognize new potential areas for public participation in common public art projects. 

Use case 2: Art biennal

Art Realm (https://www.taidevaltakunta.fi/en/) is a multi-year collaboration and network formed by three regional art museums. Its most visible manifestation is the biennial Art Realm exhibition, which showcases regional visual art. In 2025–2026, the production responsibility lies with the Tampere Art Museum, which will organize the exhibition across two venues in Tampere. In addition, selected works will be presented in public urban spaces and online.    

For the x-CITE project, the museum has selected one work of art from among the pieces chosen for the Art Realm ’26 biennial.

Use case 3: Cathedral 1918 – Civil war storytelling

Finland declared its independence on December 6, 1917, but for various reasons, it also descended into a civil war. During the deciding battle of the war (late March to early April 1918), the Tampere Cathedral was used as a refuge for civilians.

Vapriikki has already published several virtual exhibitions on the 1918 Civil War theme (www.tampere1918.fi/en). During the x-CITE project, the storytelling will be extended with the role of Tampere Cathedral. The cathedral and its surrounding areas will be 3D modelled, and scenes depicting the stories of the refugees will be filmed with live actors. The new exhibition will be published as a browser-based experience on the museum’s site.

Use case 4: Culture and children (Art Arc)

The Art Arc is a cultural education programme for basic and early childhood education of the city of Tampere. In x-CITE, Art Arc will reinforce the other Tampere use cases by providing young visitors, as well as by testing and developing pedagogical methods utilizing XR content.

Use case 5: Nokia Arena

As the main sponsor of Nokia Arena, the next-generation hockey and concert arena, Nokia wants to offer world-class experiences to its visitors and viewers at home.

During x-CITE, Nokia will install several 360° video cameras around the arena to create an immersive experience, which can then be enjoyed through smart phones, XR, 5G and 3D spatial audio technologies. The users will be able to control their video perspective and enjoy close action and front-row seat views.

Stay tuned for updates! In the coming weeks and months, we will publish more detailed stories on the Tampere use cases on our website and LinkedIn page.