Collecting Collective Memories – Using 3D Media as Immersive Recordings Towards Heritage Preservation

This research investigates traditional craftsmanship, identifying methods, materials and cultural context of artefacts not only in the collection of museums, but on the streets and backyards of Hong Kong for a transfer to 3D capturing: stereoscopic imaging, spatial videos and 3D scanning. Fieldwork, including interviews with artisans and practitioners of the crafts are one of the components to understand the most important aspect of manufacturing, objects and their usage. The presentation will focus on a case study to document the typical metal flatbed trolleys of Hong Kong, featuring an interview with one of the last manufacturers and the visualisation of the application in everyday usage. The study establishes a method of crowd-sourced three-dimensional (audio) visual documentation of in/tangible cultural heritage – to build a foundation for future application in immersive representations, such as Mixed Reality, VR and AR. The trichotomy of craftsmanship in production, the resulting artefact and its ritual application is captured three-dimensionally – not externally undertaken, but by the community itself, providing an insider perspective. The key innovation of the endeavour lies in the modalities of public engagement. Instead of using specialised expensive high-end technologies, which are only available to a small expert community, thanks to the advanced optical capabilities of current smartphones, everyone is invited to participate. The aim is to investigate, explore and propose a best-practice to allow a wider public to contribute by non-intrusively documenting actions, objects and space which might not yet be officially acknowledged as cultural heritage but of value in regard to traditions.

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