The winners of Heritage in Motion 2025 were announced during an emotional Award Ceremony at the Money Museum in Budapest, held in the framework of the European Museum Academy (EMA) Annual Conference.
The prizes were presented by: Andreja Rihter, President of the European Museum Academy and Director of the Forum of Slavic Cultures, Massimo Negri, EMA Scientific Director, Laura Diamanti, Heritage in Motion Coordinator.
This year marks the 11th edition of the Heritage in Motion Award, which celebrates the best multimedia and digital achievements in cultural heritage. In 2025, for the first time, the competition was open worldwide and received submissions from 22 countries across 4 continents — confirming its role as a unique platform highlighting the transformative role of digital technologies in the preservation, promotion, and accessibility of cultural heritage.
Three category winners were announced, along with the Overall Winner of Heritage in Motion 2025: Hands Deep – A Journey into the Demoscene (Finland). The Overall Prize was presented by Mrs. Eszter Hergár, Director of the Money Museum.
Overall Winner
Hands Deep – A Journey into the Demoscene (Finland)
Jury Motivation
For its innovative storytelling that brings the demoscene to life as both a cultural movement and a living heritage. By combining archival materials, community voices, and the personal journey of new generations, the project demonstrates how museums can act as active agents in preserving and reinterpreting intangible heritage in the digital age.
Project Description
Hands Deep sheds light on the Finnish demoscene, a unique digital subculture where creativity and coding intersect. The documentary follows three young newcomers—the “miniHackers”—as they create their first demo, interwoven with voices of veteran demosceners and rare archival footage from the 1990s.
Recognized as part of Finland’s Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2020, the demoscene is portrayed here as an inclusive, human-centered community where digital heritage is continuously passed from one generation to the next. The film itself becomes a living part of the scene, capturing the cultural value of this grassroots movement.
Credits
- Anne-Mari Musturi – Director, Writer
- Olli Nordling – Producer
- Niklas Nylund – Producer
- Otto Varteva – Key Cast (XTRA / miniHakkerit)
- Max Luumi – Key Cast (AUGI / miniHakkerit)
- Kalle Rosenschöld – Key Cast (GorkaMorka / miniHakkerit)
- Tommi Musturi – Key Cast (Electric / Extend)
- Susanna Viljanmaa – Key Cast (Bass Cadet / Adapt)
- Kimmo Tuukkanen – Key Cast (Hexhog / Gorbat Soft)
- Jani Väisänen – Key Cast (Moraff / Gorbat Soft)
- Peter Halin – Key Cast (Britelite / Dekadence)
- Jaron Räty – Key Cast (Jaroneko / DekoNeko)
- Anni Murtosaari – Key Cast (AnniMurtosaariArt / DekoNeko)
- Satu Haapakoski – Key Cast (Myy / Jumalauta)
- Alku Mattila – Key Cast (Rimina)
Participating Institutions
- Finnish Postal Museum
- Tampere Historical Museums (including the Finnish Museum of Games and Mediamuseum Rupriikki)
With the support of the Finnish Ministry of - Education and Culture
Winners
Winners in the following categories
Mouthful of Dust (Australia)
A project of State Library Victoria (Melbourne, Australia)
Jury Motivation
For its visionary blend of cutting-edge digital technology and creative writing in reframing cultural memory. This project transforms museum artefacts into vivid storytelling devices, reinterpreting a contested national figure with artistic depth, openness, and a cinematic web experience of outstanding quality.
Project Description
Mouthful of Dust is a cinematic web experience that sheds new light on Ned Kelly, Australia’s most infamous bushranger. Through high-resolution 3D scans of Kelly’s armour, boot, rifle, death mask, and the Jerilderie Letter, the project combines cutting-edge digital technology with powerful storytelling.
Five acclaimed Australian writers contribute fresh perspectives — including female, First Nations, migrant and refugee voices — reinterpreting this contested national icon for contemporary audiences.
Credits
- Directors: Mike Daly, Kate Rhodes
- Writers: Grace Chan, Wesley Enoch, Sarah Kransnostein, Nam Le, Cameron Hurst
- Institution: State Library Victoria (Melbourne, Australia)
Participating Institutions
- Finnish Postal Museum
- Tampere Historical Museums (including the Finnish Museum of Games and Mediamuseum Rupriikki)
With the support of the Finnish Ministry of - Education and Culture
HistoryCity (Italy/UK)
Jury Motivation
For its innovative use of extended reality to create immersive “living history” trails that connect people, places, and stories. By blending first-person narratives, expert commentary, and historical collections, HistoryCity expands the boundaries of cultural heritage and promotes an engaging “museum without walls” experience.
Project Description
HistoryCity develops free XR apps that deliver immersive audiovisual storytelling, expanding what is considered both tangible and intangible heritage. Each app creates a georeferenced trail across the urban landscape, guided by historical characters whose first-person narratives connect their lives to real sites of the past. These stories are enriched with expert commentary and archival images, virtually returning artefacts to their original contexts.
Since its launch, HistoryCity has created ten city apps and a sister platform, HistoryScapes, in collaboration with civic and cultural institutions. The HIM 2025 submission highlights two recent achievements:
- Hidden Venice (2024): Three bilingual trails (English/Italian), developed with the Museo Correr (Venice), Ca’ Foscari University’s Centre for Digital and Public History, and historians from the Universities of Trento, Dublin City, and Exeter.
- Hidden Trento – The Fascist City (2025): A trilingual trail (English/Italian/German), developed with the Fondazione Bruno Kessler – Istituto Storico Italo-Germanico, the Fondazione Museo Storico del Trentino, and the Soprintendenza per i beni e le attività culturali di Trento.
Credits
- David Rosenthal – Writer (HistoryCity apps), Director (all HistoryCity trails), Producer (HistoryCity apps)
- Alessandro Paris – Writer (Hidden Trento – 4 trails)
- Celeste McNamara – Writer (Hidden Venice)
- Fabrizio Nevola – Writer (Hidden Venice), Producer (HistoryCity apps)
- Anna Maragno – Writer (Hidden Trento)
- Rosa Salzberg – Writer (Hidden Venice)
Cultural Institutions Involved
- Museo Correr – Venice
- Centre for Digital and Public History – Ca’ Foscari University of Venice
- Fondazione Bruno Kessler – Istituto Storico Italo-Germanico
- Fondazione Museo Storico del Trentino
- Soprintendenza per i beni e le attività culturali di Trento
Hands Deep – A Journey into the Demoscene (Finland)
Jury Motivation
For its innovative storytelling that brings the demoscene to life as both a cultural movement and a living heritage. By combining archival materials, community voices, and the personal journey of new generations, the project demonstrates how museums can act as active agents in preserving and reinterpreting intangible heritage in the digital age.
Project Description
Hands Deep sheds light on the Finnish demoscene, a unique digital subculture where creativity and coding intersect. The documentary follows three young newcomers—the “miniHackers”—as they create their first demo, interwoven with voices of veteran demosceners and rare archival footage from the 1990s.
Recognized as part of Finland’s Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2020, the demoscene is portrayed here as an inclusive, human-centered community where digital heritage is continuously passed from one generation to the next. The film itself becomes a living part of the scene, capturing the cultural value of this grassroots movement.
Credits
- Anne-Mari Musturi – Director, Writer
- Olli Nordling – Producer
- Niklas Nylund – Producer
- Otto Varteva – Key Cast (XTRA / miniHakkerit)
- Max Luumi – Key Cast (AUGI / miniHakkerit)
- Kalle Rosenschöld – Key Cast (GorkaMorka / miniHakkerit)
- Tommi Musturi – Key Cast (Electric / Extend)
- Susanna Viljanmaa – Key Cast (Bass Cadet / Adapt)
- Kimmo Tuukkanen – Key Cast (Hexhog / Gorbat Soft)
- Jani Väisänen – Key Cast (Moraff / Gorbat Soft)
- Peter Halin – Key Cast (Britelite / Dekadence)
- Jaron Räty – Key Cast (Jaroneko / DekoNeko)
- Anni Murtosaari – Key Cast (AnniMurtosaariArt / DekoNeko)
- Satu Haapakoski – Key Cast (Myy / Jumalauta)
- Alku Mattila – Key Cast (Rimina)
Participating Institutions
- Finnish Postal Museum
- Tampere Historical Museums (including the Finnish Museum of Games and Mediamuseum Rupriikki)
With the support of the Finnish Ministry of - Education and Culture
Finalists
The 2025 edition marks the 11th edition of the Award and, for the very first time, it has been open to projects worldwide. Until 2024, Heritage in Motion focused on safeguarding and documenting European heritage; this year, we are proud to celebrate inspiring initiatives from across four continents – Europe, Asia, America, and Oceania.
The list of finalists, presented below with their respective categories, reflects the extraordinary diversity and creativity of the projects submitted. Out of a remarkable pool of entries – each valuable in its own way – the jury has carefully selected 17 finalists for 2025.
Choose by category
When We Went In: The D-Day Experience in Light and Sound
Filming Living Heritage
Haghia Sophia Visiting Area
Mouthful of Dust
Day Release
Bled Castle
You are at the National Museum
Soviet War Cemetery Experience
Genius Loci
Gorithia – Through the folds of time
Walk of Memory
Hands Deep – A journey into demoscene
The House of Mrs. L
Galileo VR – Life, discoveries, the process
HistoryCity
Skammata
Invisible Houses
Participants
Choose by category
The E. Wedel Chocolate Factory Museum
Bled Castle
When We Went In: The D-Day Experience in Light and Sound
Zdravko Joksimović
UKAHT: A Frozen Night
The Jewel of Wallachia
Filming Living Heritage
One Hundred Years of the Wallachian Open Air Museum: The Story of Its Origin and Development
How to Circle Forward in Time? Rethinking the Future of Cultural Memory through New Media Reconstructions
The Female Perspective
The Silver Grove
You are at the National Museum
Haghia Sophia Visiting Area
Dreaming Out Loud
Mouthful of Dust
Harriet Backer
Riot at the Museum
Day Release
AMH 2025
Grobnik cheese – The Original Taste of Grobnik
HistoryCity
The Lasting Imprint
Skammata
Genius Loci
AR – enhanced visualisation of the artwork Maiden at the Well by Uros Predic
Carigo Green – App XR
Invisible Houses
Experience Lab (Cà Savio)
MIT – IntARactive Book
Gorithia – Through the folds of time
MET – Filatura e Tessitura
Walk of Memory
Soviet War Cemetery Experience
Hands Deep – A journey into demoscene
Fleeing Hitler – The Oznowicz Family’s Journey to England
The House of Mrs. L
The Birth of the City. In search of Medieval Amsterdam