Inga Kirschnick

“I develop digital tools that bridge the gap between the collection and dialogue. Using an AI-powered chat system, I create a platform that not only makes objects discoverable but also brings their stories to light from diverse perspectives—especially where colonial contexts, appropriation, and misattribution come into play. My goal is to enable people from the communities of origin to actively participate: through exchange and direct communication, and, if desired, also through corrections and additions to our knowledge. In this way, the digital finding aid becomes a participatory space where responsibility, transparency, and technological innovation come together.”

Inga Kirschnick, Research Associate, subproject “Dialogic AI Systems for Provenance and Collection Research” (DSM, Jade University, Leibniz University Hannover) within the zukunft.niedersachsen research cluster “Digital Provenance and Collection Research (ProSaDi)” at Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg

About the person

Inga Kirschnick studied history and art history and initially furthered her education through a German-Italian master’s program in history (Bielefeld/Bologna). As part of her specialization in digital methods, she switched to the Interdisciplinary Media Studies program (Master of Science) with a focus on computational linguistics, databases, and information visualization. She has been working for several years as a Research Software Engineer, where she develops research software, designs database solutions, and manages digital research and server infrastructures. Since 2026, she has been part of Program Area II at the DSM, where she meaningfully enhances the team with her interdisciplinary perspective and her focus on AI-supported, participatory infrastructures.