Co-edited Books by Marta Pucciarelli
Public Art in Africa. Art and Urban Transformations in Douala
Journal Articles by Marta Pucciarelli
Douala as a “hybrid space”: Comparing online and offline representations of a sub-Saharan city
This study investigates the complex relationship between the physical and digital spaces of the c... more This study investigates the complex relationship between the physical and digital spaces of the city of Douala, Cameroon by comparing its online representation with the social representations emerging orally by locals. Using the results of two existing studies reporting on the online image of the city, we investigate the social representations foreigners and locally relevant people have of Douala and uncover similarities and discrepancies of the two resulting representations. Outcomes from the analysis permit reflection on the implications of these and show an unripe, intermediate stage of the “hybrid Douala,” where the virtual space seems still not to be affecting the way the physical space is experienced, as well as where the gaps in the digital divide are perpetuated. At the same time, strong local ownership of certain digital activities suggests how the online image of the city is in the process of being constructed and developed locally. As the spaces of the city start appearing online, the process of hybridization between physical and digital Douala is slowly taking place and offline and online narratives, now rather separated, will possibly communicate a different image of the city to global online narratives.
Papers by Marta Pucciarelli
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Mar 20, 2021
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Oct 2, 2014
Mobile a2k-Culture and Safety in Africa table of contents 3 2.1.1 Culture and safety in Douala: t... more Mobile a2k-Culture and Safety in Africa table of contents 3 2.1.1 Culture and safety in Douala: the cases of New Bell and Bessengue 12 2.1.2 Panoramic Report 49 2.1.3 Case study report: Bessengue 57 2.1.4 Case study report: New Bell 70 2.1.
The digital birth of an African city. The case of Douala (Cameroon)
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Nov 30, 2019
Close Your Eyes and Open Your Mind. A Practice-Based Experiment of Cultural Mediation for Visually Impaired People
Socializing Art Museums
Can blind and partially sighted people exploit other sensory resources such as hearing to create ... more Can blind and partially sighted people exploit other sensory resources such as hearing to create mental images, even without any visual references? Is it possible to make a work of art "visible" to people with visual impairments through the use of language and narrative descriptions? If the answer is yes, which works are most accessible through language? What information and content should be favoured in constructing the account? Which aids should be used to effectively convey descriptions to people with visual impairments? These are some of the questions that provided the framework for an experimental research project promoted by the Laboratory of Visual Culture at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI). As part of this project, the team of researchers, university professors, 75 Bachelor's students in Social Work, and eight blind and partially sighted people worked together to make the collection of 19th century sculptures and paintings preserved at the Vincenzo Vela National Museum (Ligornetto, Switzerland) accessible to all. Each student composed a personal narrative text aimed at making "visible" a work of art in the collection, while a group of blind and partially sighted "mentors" answered their questions, providing support and precise suggestions to help them identify the most suitable solutions. Finally, the participants jointly chose a selection of fifteen texts for a collective reading in the dark. The sculptures and paintings preserved in the museum have thus literally "come to life". Based on the results obtained in this practice-based experiment, this paper will present some theoretical reflections on the participatory and inclusive approach linked to the storytelling technique, as well as proposing interventions that could meet the needs of people with visual disabilities.
The Digital Birth of an African City
Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance
In this paper the digital Douala is presented. Different business categories of the economic capi... more In this paper the digital Douala is presented. Different business categories of the economic capital of Cameroun have been tracked along the years (from 1989 up to 2013) in order to assess their emergence into the online world. Such an analysis is able to provide a full picture of the digital Douala, and of the process of its digitization from the very beginning up to recent years. Data has been collected and has been analysed and discussed taking into consideration not only the axes of time and of economic activity, but also its origin and spatial distribution, so to provide a vivid picture of a hybrid space in the making. Such a cross-time analysis is of particular relevance not only for research, but also for its policy-making implications.
CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research - Zenodo, Sep 1, 2020
ASP 693 CHEERS "Cultural HEritagE. Risks and Securing activities" Activity A.T4.1 Emergency Plann... more ASP 693 CHEERS "Cultural HEritagE. Risks and Securing activities" Activity A.T4.1 Emergency Planning and cultural heritages protection: how do the Alps deal with this issue? An investigation aimed at making a critical comparison of the Emergency Planning regulations in the Alps (roles, responsibilities, involved bodies and subjects), with a in depth analysis of the different schemes applied by competent authorities and Civil Protection bodies in the field of cultural heritage protection against natural hazards Deliverable D.T2.2.1 Critical overview of Emergency Planning schemes at Alpine level An overall picture of the different schemes applied at country level, with the synthesis of final recommendations for policy makers Responsible partner: SUPSI
CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research - Zenodo, Jul 1, 2020
CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research - Zenodo, Sep 24, 2020
Roundtable and discussion with a focus on the use of data for heritage protection and the role of... more Roundtable and discussion with a focus on the use of data for heritage protection and the role of citizens (self-protection, enriching data, monitoring sites...
This dissertation focuses on the online communication and representation of a digital city in Afr... more This dissertation focuses on the online communication and representation of a digital city in Africa: Douala, the largest city of the Republic of Cameroon. In particular, it explores the evolution of the web-based reproduction (Couclelis, 2004) of Douala, the largest city of the Republic of Cameroon, from a chronological, spatial and representational perspective, with the purpose of understanding how its representation is produced and its relations with the physical city. This is paramount for scholars, practitioners and the civil society as the gaps between available online information and the physical world shape our knowledge and expertise of the world, and invisible places in the virtual representation may remain unknown to many people (Graham, 2013). The study of the digital Douala is led by three research questions, which contribute to fill the empirical, methodological and theoretical gaps concerning digital cities in Africa. Each question constitutes a different phase of the...
What we are talking about? A research at the crossroads of ICT4D, internet studies and urban stud... more What we are talking about? A research at the crossroads of ICT4D, internet studies and urban studies on the online communication and representation of a digital city in Africa: Douala (Cameroun)
A journey through public art in Douala
The digital birth of an African city. An explorative study on the city of Douala
In this paper the digital Douala is presented. Different business categories of the economic capi... more In this paper the digital Douala is presented. Different business categories of the economic capital of Cameroun have been tracked along the years (from 1989 up to 2013) in order to assess their emergence into the online world. Such an analysis is able to provide a full picture of the digital Douala, and of the process of its digitization from the very beginning up to recent years. Data has been collected and has been analysed and discussed taking into consideration not only the axes of time and of economic activity, but also its origin and spatial distribution, so to provide a vivid picture of a hybrid space in the making. Such a cross-time analysis is of particular relevance not only for research, but also for its policy-making implications.
A Journey through Public Art in Douala: Framing the Identity of New Bell neighborhood
Culture and safety in Douala: the cases of New Bell and Bessengue
How Do Performers Increase Their Wellbeing? An Investigation Among Music and Theater Professionals
ICERI2018 Proceedings, 2018
How to regulate emotions in stressful situations has become an important skill that professionals... more How to regulate emotions in stressful situations has become an important skill that professionals routinely need to deal with, especially for classical musicians, theatre actors and performers when moving from backstage to the stage and from the learning environment to the professional one. Conservatories and art schools have recently begun to introduce student services for health purposes, courses where students learn how to cope with performance stress and a concert hall simulator helps musicians prepare to perform. However, despite evidence suggesting that self-confidence is strongly influenced by preparation, researchers have theorized that much of performers’ wellbeing is influenced by emotions, attitude perceptions and behaviours. Indeed practices such as meditation, self-listening, physical activity and relationships are known to have a positive effect on wellbeing and stress regulation but in today’s word, these practices are often hard to ground in daily preparation routine...
The production of an African hybrid city
The influence of the digital space over the physical one is intensively discussed in information ... more The influence of the digital space over the physical one is intensively discussed in information geography and the production of space discourses (Zook & Graham, 2007). This paper explores the hybrid space of Douala, the largest metropolis of Cameroun, aiming at understanding how the digital Douala is (mis)aligned with the physical city and how, in this developing infrastructures-deficient context, the digital is influencing the physical space. This research is grounded on the results of an analytical study on the visible and invisible spaces of Douala (Pucciarelli, Vannini, & Cantoni, 2014). Herein, we further analyse online visible and invisible spaces with the local representation of urban landmarks and touristic points of interest. These have been elicited during a two-month ethnographic study - from November to December 2013 - through interviews to local residents who communicate information about the city only orally (n=30), and who communicate information about the city (also...
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Co-edited Books by Marta Pucciarelli
Journal Articles by Marta Pucciarelli
Papers by Marta Pucciarelli