Page - 255 - in Limina - Grazer theologische Perspektiven, Volume 3:2

255 | www.limina-graz.eu Chiara Zuanni | Heritage in a digital world Conclusion This paper has begun with a discussion of Critical Heritage Studies and the uses of technology in the heritage sector and it has subsequently unpacked the encounters of human and non-human actors in constructing herit- age in the digital sphere, arguing that there is a need for developing digital preservation practices for both user-generated content and the platforms that enable its creation. On the one hand, these encounters lead to “intra- actions” (following Barad), which in turn create new heritage knowledge and values. More research is needed on the methods and ethics for exam- ining user practices and platform “encoding” processes. In this context, I suggest that cyborg theory (following Haraway) applied to digital plat- forms could be a useful framework for developing an ethically aware and inclusive conversation around heritage. In order to fully understand the values of digital heritage, it is necessary to reframe ideas of authenticity to also include the specific features of born- digital objects. Similarly, unpacking the agencies at play in digital herit- age assemblages (following Bennett), and thus a better understanding of the entanglement of agencies in such objects, could lead to a more robust framing of their curatorial needs and legal contexts. Therefore, I suggest that posthuman theory approaches to digital heritage could open up new perspective for addressing current challenges in the digital collection, preservation, management, and display of born-digital objects. In these regards, the paper presents a partial and yet developing perspective, and it indicates possible directions for future research and further reflections. Acknowledgements The ideas discussed in this paper were first presented at the Biennial Conference of the As- sociation for Critical Heritage Studies in Hangzhou, China, in September 2018, in a section organised by Rodney Harrison and Colin Sterling, to whom I am grateful for the opportu- nity to discuss my ideas at this event. I am also grateful to the reviewers of this paper for their helpful comments and suggestions.