PART C

Transcending Boundaries

Exploring virtual heritage with communities in remote, rural and underprivileged settlements

Outreach : at a glance

Asapartoftheoutreachactivity,wehaveexploredhowinfusingvirtualheritage into everyday contexts might foster spontaneous participation from a wide spectrum of communities and could have a profound impact on children. Surprisingly, we had a terrific time with them, especially the children, who were eager to see the formerly unseen culturally significant places in their immediate vicinity.

We intended to investigate virtual heritage with diverse groups from underprivileged, rural, and remote regions, where it is difficult to travel to heritage places and culturally significant sites. We held an art competition after establishing the context of cultural heritage with a few slides, while the children conveyed their understandings of and relationship to 'culture' in a follow-up discussion, as it was our objective to transform well-known historic places into hyper-real spaces and explore whether it could have the ability to engender positive forces of communal cohesiveness. And based on our observations, this virtual heritage initiative somewhat fulfilled its goal of enabling communities to discuss, provide meanings, and explore their cultural identity throughthenotionof'shared'culturalheritagesites.

Findings: place attachment / diversity- unity / cultural significance POTHER SCHOOL f

The inaugural event took place at Pother School, a platform that works for social improvement and educates disadvantaged children in order to empower them and promote social equality. The children were thrilled to encounter hyperreality, and we found they had a deep affinity for outdoor cultural monuments and places as Golap Shah Mazar, Baitul Mukarram, and even the TSC.

Findings: from local to global / emotions / nostalgia

Another school was explored in the tranquil village of ‘Pakomba’ in northern Bangladesh. We planned a sketching project with them in which the children would communicate their emotional connection to places in a delightful manner. We discovered that the students were enthusiastic about their introduction to virtuality. After being encouraged to sketch places where they have an emotional attachment, they take it a step further by expressing their own understanding of objects, places, and cultures, as well as their personal attachment to these.This aided in establishingaconnectionwiththenationallysignificantheritageplacesthatweprojectedvirtually.

Findings: cultural identity / diversity / nationhood

Finally, we travelled to a tiny settlement of Santal communities, where these people have been living peacefully for many years and where a small school is administered by some outstanding teachers from this community. The youngsters and the old members were quite outspoken about their cultural awareness, and they were also pretty willing to share it.

Reflections

These activities were a part of the outreach of Amar Oitijjho supported by the EMK Center in which we are attempting to project these hyperreal 3D's utilising AR and AI on banknote surfaces, primarily on a small virtual scale at this phase. We wanted to disengage from the paradigm of photorealism and was focusing more on to the interpretation of heritage, despite the fact that the target audiences are somewhat mesmerised by the visually compelling, highly sophisticated 3D elements that cannot be distinguished from the actual physical objects due to their identical materiality, textures, and impressions. Moreover, AR is the option that is most accessible to the general people, as it employs ubiquitous media such as mobile phones, whereas VR requires expensive, custom-built technological equipment. Our own goal was to utilise this potential and make it meaningful for interpretation, conceptual learning, and outcomebased education. The Bengali phrase 'Amar Oitijjho' can be translated as 'my heritage'. We have intentionally employed the pronoun ‘my' to stress individual attachment, involvement in, and personal adaptation of a common cultural heritage, while underlining that this heritage belongs to the broader community. In a globalized world where we are continuously overwhelmed by influences from diverse cultures, we feel that it is essential that we take pride in and develop an intimate attachment to the cultural elements that distinguish us apart and define our identity.

About EMK Center

Initially created in 2012 through a partnership between the Liberation War Museum and the American Center of U.S. Embassy Dhaka, the EMK Center is a non-partisan platform committed to open dialogue, informed action, individual and artistic expression, and personal and professional development. We define public service as service on behalf of the people – by anyone, anywhere, anytime.

The EMK Center honors the legacy of public servants worldwide, exemplified by the men and women who fought for Bangladesh’s independence in 1971 and by U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who was moved to take action then and throughout his life in support of his convictions. In February 1972, Senator Kennedy planted a banyan tree on Dhaka University’s campus as a living tribute to friendship, resilience, and hope, and it stands today.

Project Lead

Imamur Hossain

Architect. Heritage Professional. Commonwealth Scholar.

Imamur Hossain is an Assistant Professor of Architecture having research and practice-focused background in cultural heritage. His research interest is critical heritage studies, architectural conservation, heritage interpretation and virtual heritage.

imamur.hossain@gmail.com

Fariba Samia Omi

Architect. Heritage Expert. Documentation and 3D visualizer

Fariba Samia Omi has been working as an architect for over 8 years, during which time she has amassed extensive expertise in 3D visualization, heritage documentation, and project management. She has spearheaded a number of cultural heritage preservation-focused initiatives.

Team

Programmers

Tasdid Hossain

UX and app developer.

Tasdid Hossain is an expert in the development of android applications, cyber security, and blockchain. He has research and field experience from the United States, South Korea, Malaysia, and Australia.

Team

Programmers

Atiqul Islam

App developer. AI expert.

Atiqul Islam is an expert in android application development, AI exploration and AR integration. His field-based experience and research have both been in related fields.

Outreach and Communication Expert.

Team Outreach

Outreach and Communication Expert.