Valuable works of art and historical documents are kept in secure locations that the general public can access only under certain conditions — if at all. If digital images capture what we consider essential about an object, it is often sufficient to view the copy. As is expected in democratic societies, access to these images should be as unobstructed as possible. Open access is the keyword here. Additionally, digital processing goes beyond mere reproduction, creating entirely new possibilities for access and potentially breaking down barriers to reception. However, digital reality also includes software, hardware, and license agreements, which are subject to historical developments, decay processes, and the power of private, global companies that operate according to their own rules. What does this mean for a contemporary sense of responsibility in the arts and culture sector?

Reinold Schmücker, a professor of philosophy at the University of Münster, is the spokesperson for Centre for Advanced Study “Access to Cultural Goods in Digital Change”. In this episode of Digitalgespräch, the expert explains which aspects of access to art and culture are important when developing ethical and legal standards. He demonstrates how digitalisation creates new opportunities and self-evident truths for democratic access, as well as highlighting the new risks and problems that the rules of the digital world give rise to. Hosts Marlene Görger and Petra Gehring discuss with Schmücker how exhibition spaces can maintain their status as physical places for experiencing art and culture, and whether it is still possible to assert the special aesthetic value of the original over its copies, justifying the journey to see it.

Episode 76 of Digitalgespräch, feat. Reinold Schmücker of Universität Münster, 10 March 2026

Further informationen:

Website of the Centre for Advanced Study “Access to Cultural Goods in Digital Change”: https://www.uni-muenster.de/KFG-Zugang/en/index.html

Digitalgespräch Episode 64 “Simplifying Literature – using AI? Digitality and Cultural Participation” feat. Thomas Kater: https://zevedi.de/en/digitalgespraech-064-thomas-kater-2/

Publication Series Access Points of the Centre for Advanced Study Access to Cultural Goods in Digital Change: https://www.uni-muenster.de/KFG-Zugang/en/publikationen/accesspoints/index.html

all episodes of Digitalgespräch

The podcast is in German. At the moment there is no English version or transcript available.