Intangible and tangible heritage are two sides of the same coin, perhaps. It has been a great step forward for UNESCO to add the concept of intangible heritage, but I can’t help but feel heritage is the relationship between the two. How can digital heritage help re-span this gap?
NB isn’t “cultural heritage” saying the same thing twice? Oh yes, there is industrial heritage, but as soon as it becomes heritage it achieves some form of cultural status…
The 2016-2020 UNESCO Chair of Cultural Heritage and Visualisation has ended. First UNESCO Chair at Curtin. Less than 4 years, but various awards/prizes, media releases and press interviews, 3 Australian Research Council (+international) grants, some grant applications still pending.
The next big publication, in February 2021, will be an edited book on virtual heritage, published by Ubiquity Press, edited by Erik Champion. Online chapters will be open access, and suitable for university course reading lists.
Papers available at https://computation.curtin.edu.au/research/groups/unesco-chair-cultural-heritage-visualisation/ but needs updating.
I’d like to thank Hafizur Rahaman, our two PhD students Mafkereseb Bekele and Ikrom Nishanbaev, and the many collaborators and colleagues we met on the journey.
Mr Ikrom Nishanbaev has won best paper award!
A Cloud Architecture for Processing and Visualization of 3D Geo-located Cultural Heritage Models (https://doi.org/10.5220/0009341500510061) (won the best student paper award at 6th International Conference on Geographical Information Systems Theory, Applications and Management 2020 – http://www.gistam.org/PreviousAwards.aspx)
He is supervised by myself and Dr David McMeekin, Curtin University. He joins Mafkereseb Bekele, our other PhD student, who won a young CAADRIA award last year. Ikrom is featured in the current banner for this website, explaining mixed reality and 3D walkable mixed reality maps (actually Mafi’s projects).
Ikrom’s research is more to do with the semantic web, linked open data, GIS and 3D models. You can see his PhD publications below:
Still being planned (Newcastle is still a tbc):
UCL Qatar: (tbc), 20 or 21 November 2017:
Talk, workshop and debate on Historical narratives and digital spaces (place tbc)
Salford, 29 November 2017:
Rethinking Virtual Places
This talk will cover my recent thoughts on what is a virtual place and a virtual world, and why we seem to have shifting, even varying notions of virtual reality. For example, what are virtual environments and virtual museums? Do they open our minds up to the possibility of digital space and virtual culture? In my opinion, they typically fail to do so, virtual museums lack contestation and imagined defensive capacity, they are not cultural worlds. Many philosophers and cultural studies thinkers have given us some hints as to cultural places, but not to virtual cultural places. And architects are also not as well placed as one might think, to design, critique and review virtual places. Nor is it clear to many how we learn through virtual place. Augmented reality will begin to dominate virtual reality, and consumer-friendly component-based VR technology has great promise, but new and emerging devices displays and peripherals may have long-term detrimental cognitive, physical and social effects.
Research Digital Cultural Heritage conference, University of Manchester, 30 November-1 December 2017:
Inside Out: Avatars, Agents, Cultural Agents
If conveying cultural significance is a central aim of virtual heritage projects, can they convey cultural significance effectively without an understanding of the contextual role of cultural knowledge? In this talk I will argue this is very difficult, but even populating virtual environments with others (human-guided or computer-scripted), there are still vital, missing ingredients.
In virtual heritage projects with enough computational power and sophistication to feature intelligent agents, they are primarily used as guides (Bogdanovych et al. 2009). They lead players to important landmarks, or perhaps act as historical guides (revealing past events, conveying situationally appropriate behavior). Intelligent agents are usually designed for limited forms of conversation and typically help convey social presence rather than cultural presence. For an enhanced “sense of inhabited place”, engaging narrative- related elements, or embodiment, a cultural agent recognizes, adds to, or transmits physically embedded and embodied aspects of culture. They could provide a sense of cultural presence, becoming Aware-Of-Not-Quite-Being-‘There’.
Cultural agents would not be mere conversational agents if they were able to:
To fulfil the above criteria, cultural agents would be culturally constrained. Not just socially constrained; their actions and beliefs would be dependent on role, space, and time. They could understand and point out right from wrong in terms of culturally specific behavior and understand the history and possibly also the future trajectory of specific cultural movements. In this talk I will discuss three scenarios for cultural agents, their relationship to roles and rituals, and two more missing ingredients. The result? A more situated, reflexive appreciation of cultural significance via virtual heritage.
Title: A Schematic Division of Game-Learning Strategies Relevant to Digital Archaeology and Digital Cultural Heritage
Abstract
How can we transmit the values and interpretations of cultural heritage (using virtual reality) which is low-cost, contextually appropriate, educationally effective, and collaborative? While much excellent research has been undertaken on social presence in virtual environments (Swinth, 2002), research on the design and evaluation of cultural presence, the perception another culture is portrayed and experienced in a virtual environment, lags behind. Where cultural presence has been explored, it has not been directed towards the experiencing of culturally significant heritage (Riva et al., 2002), and organizations such as UNESCO have not prescribed how to determine if the user experience achieved the goals of the designers and shareholders. One possible solution for digital archaeology is to deploy commercial games that allow themselves to be modded (as in modified). This chapter will provide a simple classification of the ways in which game-based examples may help communicate digital archaeology and related content, and argue that there are at least four major areas of research that need to be investigated further.
UNESCO Research Fellow in Cultural Heritage & Visualisation, Curtin University.
Direct Link here or at the Curtin University Vacancies, Perth, Western Australia.
The role starts in 2016.
| Position Title: | UNESCO Research Fellow in Cultural Heritage & Visualisation |
| Position Number: | 3553170 |
| Tenure: | Full-time, fixed term until 1 September 2020 |
| Salary Range: | $97,076 – $115,277 (ALB) |
| Location: | Bentley |
| Description: | Do you have experience with digital archaeology and a passion to join the School of Media, Culture and Creative Arts? Curtin University has, in cooperation with UNESCO, established a Chair in Cultural Heritage and Visualisation. The purpose of the Chair is to promote an integrated system of research, training, information and documentation on virtual heritage sites and facilitate collaboration between high-level, internationally-recognized researchers and teaching staff of the University and other institutions in Australia, Europe and North America and in other regions of the world. As a Research Fellow, you will work with the UNESCO Chair on a project which aims to survey and promote guidelines, tutorials and open access tools for the design, preservation and teaching of 3D models and landscapes of UNESCO heritage sites, particularly in Australia. You will be expected to contribute to grant writing and research publications. Along with a relevant doctoral qualification, the ideal candidate would have experience in aspects of digital archaeology, architectural computing, or databases and related programming (especially in the creation and maintenance of online repositories). Evidence of quality research outputs and interpersonal skills are also essential. |
| Benefits and Remuneration: | The salary ranges presented are those which are contained within the University’s Enterprise Agreements; as are the employee benefits which include employer superannuation contribution at the rate of the current Government Superannuation Guarantee amount up to 17 percent, study assistance, a comprehensive salary packaging and wellness programs and flexible and family friendly work practices. |
| Contact Person: | Professor Erik Champion |
| Contact Email: | erik.champion@curtin.edu.au |
| Valuing Diversity and Affirmative Action: | Curtin University embraces diversity and inclusion and invites applications from women, men and intersex individuals who share the University’s values, ethics, international outlook, value diversity and have an informed respect for indigenous people. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to provide a positive, barrier-free recruitment process and supportive workplace, therefore, if you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at time of application. We will then work with you to identify the best way to assist you through the recruitment process. All personal information will be kept confidential in compliance with relevant privacy legislation. |
| Submit Application: | To submit an application, click on the Apply Now button. |
| Disclaimer: | Curtin reserves the right at its sole discretion to withdraw from the recruitment process, not to make an appointment, or to appoint by invitation, at anytime. |
| Applications Close: | 5 pm, Monday 24 October 2016 (AWST) |
Announced via our internal Curtin University website:
Partnership with UNESCO
Curtin recently signed a contract to establish the University’s first UNESCO Chair of Cultural Heritage and Visualisation for Professor Erik Champion (School of Media, Culture and Creative Arts). The Chair will cooperate closely with UNESCO on programs and activities, and facilitate new projects and collaborations with other UNESCO chairs and scholars, particularly in the field of digital cultural heritage. Two related PhD Scholarships and a Research Fellow position will shortly be advertised and there will be a program to invite visiting fellows from around the world.
At the partnership signing with Professor Alan Dench, Associate Professor Michele Willson and Professor Erik Champion of the Faculty of Humanities.
Just received this by email, last night:
Establishment of a UNESCO Chair in Cultural Heritage and Visualisation at Curtin University of Technology. Third Parties: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
So the agreement is signed and I will hear from Human Resources regards the provision of two PhD students and a contracted Research Fellow. The majority of their work will be in providing workflows and tutorials and repository guidelines for the storage and deployment and educational use of 3D heritage models/site simulations. I will have to find other avenues of funding for my major line of research, game-like simulation design of heritage sites and historical events and processes.
The specific objectives of this Chair are to:
As it draws closer here is what I need to work on for four years (create a network, build community capacity, recommend archival guidelines, disseminate research, cooperate with UNESCO):
The purpose of the Chair shall be to promote an integrated system of research, training, information and documentation on virtual heritage sites, science, sustainable development, social and ethical challenges, cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue, culture of peace, information and communication. It will facilitate collaboration between high-level, internationally-recognized researchers and teaching staff of the University and other institutions in Australia, Europe and North America and in other regions of the world.
The specific objectives of this Chair are to:
Deadline for applications: August 25, 2015
General Information:
Applicants are expected to select one of the thematic areas in order to give a 15-minute oral presentation in one of the workshops. Short-listed applicants have to submit a 2,000-word essay and a draft poster.
The thematic areas for in-class presentations are:
How to apply?
In order to apply please submit the following documents:
Applications procedure:
Please, be aware that applicants have to select one of the five thematic areas described above. The application is considered incomplete, if a thematic area is not indicated. The short-listed candidates will be invited to submit a 2,000-word essay on their in-class presentation by September 15, 2015. Based on the quality of the papers the advisory board of ISAC will select the definite participants and award up to 15 scholarships.
Course Fee:
Participants have to pay a registration fee of 250 euros that includes tuition, course materials and the costs of the thematic excursions.
Scholarships:
ISAC may offer up to 15 scholarships provided by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
The selection criterion is the quality of your application (i.e. relevance of your studies, letter of motivation, quality of the abstract and the 2,000-word essay on your in-class presentation).
The scholarships cover accommodation and a lump sum for traveling costs. Please note that traveling costs will be reimbursed according to the regulations of the DAAD.
Eligible are only international students that are enrolled at a foreign university. Neither degree-seeking international students enrolled at a German higher education institution nor German students enrolled at a foreign higher education institution are eligible.
A limited number of junior researchers who work at a foreign higher education institution may be awarded a scholarship. Either way, you have to provide a proof of enrolment or a certificate from your employer.
Please send your application via email to:
Ms. Dariya Afanasyeva
Scientific Assistant
BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg
Chair Intercultural Studies, UNESCO Chair in Heritage Studies
Email: heritagecottbus[at]gmail.com
Digital Archaeology and virtual heritage are not exactly equivalent but I have not seen a paper putting forward a clear definition and relationship. Perhaps that is why a Digital Heritage conference could be attended by archaeologists, archivists, museum experience people, interaction designers, programmers, scanning experts, librarians or museum people. Seldom are they all together, let alone in the same sessions.
If UNESCO and related organizations wish to preserve digital cultural heritage they will have to clearly distinguish between CAD model repositories and online web models (one can have both in one but is it too much of a compromise?)
Another issue is that charters developed for digital heritage, UNESCO digital heritage charter, London Charter, Seville Principles, Burra charter, ICOMOS Venice charter, are read but not used in the creation and storage of most projects.
My solution would be to build a template that is both a heuristics and an information collector that would be used to create suitable meta-tags and classification, based on a hybrid practical implementation of the charters as a query form that helps relate models to ontologies and to other digital collections.
Ear Zow Digital