Exhibitions
Digital Ghosts - Exhibition Late and Panel Discussion
Step into the forgotten corners of the internet with an exhibition that transforms real web archive data into playful, thought-provoking artworks. From vanished websites to fading digital traces, these pieces invite you to reflect on what’s preserved, what’s lost, and what that reveals about our identities and values. As the lines blur between online and offline life, the exhibition asks: who decides what’s worth remembering, and how does that shape our shared story?
During the Exhibition Late, the team behind the project will host a panel discussion on Scotland’s digital footprints. We’ll explore how web archives are created, what gets included or left out, and why those choices matter, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the politics of web preservation.
This project is partially funded by the ESRC Festival of Social Science, the National Library of Scotland, the British Academy and the Leverhulme Trust, with support from the Institute for Design Informatics, Inspace and Edinburgh Futures Institute.
This programme is part of the Being Human Festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities, taking place 6 - 15 November 2025. Led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, with generous support from Research England, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy. For further information please see beinghumanfestival.org.
Speakers:
Andrea Kocsis - Chancellor’s Fellow in Humanities Informatics
Dorsey Kaufmann - Data visualisation designer, artist, and researcher
Graeme Hawley - Head of Published Collections, National Library of Scotland
Eilidh MacGlone - Web archivist, National Library of Scotland
Parker Kaufmann - Data visualization specialist and web developer
Date: Thurs 6 Nov 2025
Time: 18:00-20:00 | Free/Ticketed
Location: Inspace, 1 Crichton St, Edinburgh, EH8 9AB
Audience: General public (under 18's must be accompanied by an adult)
This event has limited capacity and so registration is preferred. Participants with tickets are guaranteed entry.
Venue Access features: Accessible toilets, Assistance dogs welcome, Baby changing facilities, Seating, Step-free access, Wheelchair accessible
Further Access information available here: Inspace | AccessAble
If you have any enquiries about the events and the venue, please contact us at designinformatics@ed.ac.uk .
Please note this event will be photographed/recorded, and may be used for future marketing, promotional or archive purposes. If you would prefer not to be photographed/recorded, please let us know at the event.
Image credit: Courtesy of Dorsey Kaufmann
