What is it about?
Although Malta has a long and important history, most local museums and heritage organisations have not yet made wide use of new museology or digital humanities. A newer 'phygital' method, which blends physical and digital ways of presenting heritage, has strong potential, especially when using extended reality (XR). Malta’s role as a British colony during the Second World War inspired a practical project that combined traditional scale models, miniature figures, dioramas and live historical reenactment with cinematic virtual reality and 3D capture. The story explored a “what if” scenario in which Axis forces invaded Malta in 1942. Because the researcher is experienced in scale modelling and reenactment, autoethnography and participant observation were used to collect primary data for this practice-based study. The project shows that physical and digital forms of heritage interpretation work well together and can be displayed successfully in a hybrid or phygital exhibition. It also demonstrates that scale modelling—often viewed simply as a hobby—can be used in a rigorous way to support heritage interpretation and enhance XR experiences. Since phygital heritage interpretation is still a developing field, this research highlights the value of combining digital tools, physical artefacts and post-colonial viewpoints to reshape how heritage stories are told through immersive XR. It is one of the earliest practice-as-research efforts to explore this potential and puts forward a new model for applying this innovative phygital approach.
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Why is it important?
This research is helpful because it provides a new conceptual model, a tested practical example, and a methodological roadmap for exploring phygital heritage, something that has been missing in Maltese heritage studies and remains limited internationally. It shows traditional craft skills like dioramas and advanced immersive technologies like cinematic VR can work together to revitalise heritage interpretation. This combination is often discussed in theory but rarely shown in a real-world, research-led case.
Perspectives
Despite the fact that WWII is one of the most studies periods in world history, its interpretation is yet to be upgraded to follow 21st century trends in terms of the application of digital technologies. This does not mean traditional interpretation with scale models and dioramas is no longer valid. On the contrary, my research discovers how their combination in a phygital model exploits the strengths of both modes for the interpretation of this rich historical event.
Martin Debattista
Institute of Tourism Studies
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Immersive Phygital Technologies to Interpret a Counterfactual World War II Invasion, September 2025, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/978-1-83662-342-720251009.
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