Named after the small red sticker that once guided scholars through legacy 35mm slides, The Red Dot is here to help you navigate the ever-evolving landscape of visual and material research. While rooted in the University of California, Santa Barbara community, our posts are open to all.
At MIRL, we engage with art history, digital humanities, and material culture through hands-on research and archival projects. Guided by our core principles—critical engagement with visual and material culture, ethical stewardship of images and data, and innovative approaches to research and pedagogy—we work at the intersection of technology and the humanities. We are especially interested in how digital tools can expand the study of images, objects, and spaces.
Here, we’ll share insights on Digital Art History and Architectural History, highlight new image and data resources, discuss copyright and ethical considerations, and spotlight events that shape our field.
The Red Dot © 2025 is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
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“Trigger Warning” – A new column examining current issues in/of art censorship
Gareth Harris, the chief contributing editor of The Art Newspaper, has started “Trigger Warning,” a new column on censorship in art today. From must-read books to which algorithms are policing creative content, he will provide valuable insights and context on attacks on freedom of artistic expression and issues. Click here to read the inaugural column. Read more
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DH Monday: “Extending Museum Space Beyond Physical Space”
The most recent article published in International Journal for Digital Art History, no. 6 (2021): Horizons of Mixed Realities Dario Rodighiero. 2022. “Extending Museum Space Beyond Physical Space: A Data-Driven Study of Aldo Rossi’s Analogous Object as a Mobile Museum Object.” Aldo Rossi composed the famous collage known as Analogous City for the Venice Biennale… Read more
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SAH Data Project, Architectural History in the United States: Findings and Trends in Higher Education
The Society of Architectural Historians’ Data Project Report is the first national, in-depth study designed to assess the health of the field of architectural history, which includes the history of architecture, landscape design, urbanism, and other fields related to the designed and built environment. The primary data collection tools for this project were three online… Read more
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International Council of Museums Updates the Definition of “Museum”
What is a museum? Icom finally decides on a new definition The 50-year-old statement has been overhauled at the International Council of Museums conference in Prague today by Tom Seymour 24 August 2022 The definition of a museum has significantly changed for the first time in 50 years after an unanimous vote by members of… Read more
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DH Monday: CFP – 2023 CAA Session: Digital Humanities and the Future of Art History (New York / February 15–18, 2023)
“Digital Humanities and the Future of Art History” Session, which will present In-Person at CAA’s 111th Annual Conference, (New York / February 15–18, 2023) Sponsored by the Services to Historians of Visual Arts Committee Submission Deadline: Wednesday, August 31 Increasingly, humanists across disciplines are driving digital humanities projects. At the same time, data and digital… Read more
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Artists Rights Society Announces Launch of ARSNL.art
Artists Rights Society (ARS) has launched a new digital affiliate, ARSNL.art (pronounced ‘arsenal’). ARS describes ARSNL as “[r]ooted in legacy, born from technology” as they continue their fight to establish artist resale royalty through legislation it introduced in Congress, arguing for the opportunities that blockchain technology provides for all creators in the form of resale… Read more