The Arc/k Project

"Virtual Reality should never be seen as a replacement for the real thing. I don’t think they should be confused and it’s not a binary. It’s not an either/or you either have VR or you have the real thing. You need both. And for me, at least, I see the future of cultural heritage preservation and heritage management in many ways, and in other areas too, attached and connected with VR. I think this is the future. "--Dr. Amr Al-Azm. Read Part 1 of our interview with Dr. Al-Azm.

How do you archive the year of 2020? Amidst the transformations and unprecedented times, the year also holds memorable moments of joy, resilience and care. Enjoy these hopeful images from The Atlantic.

The hall of the Main Library at the University City of Caracas is a large entrance to the Library with a double high space, a wall and a column covered in wood and a floor to ceiling stained glass artwork by Fernand Leger (Sin Título, 1954). The stained glass colors are blue, red, green, yellow and white. The natural light outside the building is projected inside the hall through the stained glass, giving to Leger’s artwork another dimension. Photographs by Gustavo Marcano &... Luis Chacin. This piece is a part of the collection Synthesis of the Arts at the University City of Caracas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, designed by the architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva. Explore the 3D model in detail at our Archival Collections: https://buff.ly/3nG4SKl

"Laser scanning (also known as LIDAR) has become an essential tool at cultural sites around the world, from Notre Dame to Rapa Nui, in augmenting physical preservation, helping conservators make better decisions, and enriching experiences of the sites for both scientists and the public."

Check out this virtual tour of Teotihuacan in Mexico. Built between the 1st and 7th centuries A.D., it is characterized by the vast size of its monuments in particular, the Temple of Quetzalcoatl and the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, laid out on geometric and symbolic principles.

The Atlantic commissioned three pieces from artists who straddle the lines between art and architecture, design and social justice, technology and manufacturing to speculate on the question What might a COVID-19 memorial be?

"By representing their culture beyond the prism of its repression, Uighurs in the diaspora are giving the world a better understanding of not only who they are, but what it stands to lose should the culture be allowed to disappear."

How can communities come to terms with historical memory? Learn more about how political parties in Spain are confronting the removal of symbols and memorials.

Check out our Arc/k Letter 005 - Arc/k helps online learning, expands access, launches new resource site. https://mailchi.mp/arck-project/arck-letter-005

"It will allow the encroachments of the water and the consequent damage to the island and buildings to be monitored precisely as the water level rises in the Adriatic and the lagoon."

"With assistance from CIRI Foundation’s A Journey to What Matters grant program, Ilanka Cultural Center offered a Sugpiaq (Alutiiq) Shield and War Club class taught by master carver Andrew Abyo of Anchorage. Throughout history, a majority of this area’s cultural artifacts have been stolen or taken to foreign museums or private collections around the world. Because of this, Native Village of Eyak tribal members have never had access to a Sugpiaq-styled shield or war club through Ilanka’s cultural programs or museum."

These virtual field trips with National Science Foundation let educators take students to amazing places and give them remarkable experiences, without ever leaving the classroom. National Science Foundation (NSF)

"Princeton’s Barnes says that the question of deleting the records from the Dust-to-Digital collection is complicated. She understands the company’s decision, but there’s a danger in jumping past difficult conversations." Los Angeles Times

On October 12, 1961, la Quinta de Anauco opened to the public as The Colonial Art Museum of Caracas at Quinta de Anauco in Venezuela. In collaboration with IAM Venezuela, we successfully taught digital preservation techniques to students, community members, and photographers to capture the museum's collections. This year, in light of COVID-19, the museum created a beautiful, online educational campaign ‘Artworks of the Collection’ with images from our 3D models. They shared over 100 detailed visual posts of art objects, ceramics, and paintings. Explore the full collection: https://buff.ly/3jTCkLy

"The movies, in other words, is where we like to think this kind of disaster belongs. They prepare us for calamity even as we like to think they inoculate us." - A.O. Scott. Read more:

"Dave Cramp, commercial director for Peterborough Cathedral, said: We are already at the early stages of working on ideas for how we can use these very lifelike images and fly-through videos in materials for schools, enabling our education team to visit classrooms and inspire students with a fascination for the life and history of this ancient building. The potential for virtual tours, increased accessibility and bespoke objects for sale in our shop is also very exciting."

The threats to Georgia's world heritage sites. Georgia’s Catch-22: UNESCO status draws tourists, and yet tourists make it harder to maintain UNESCO status. Learn more: https://buff.ly/2GZnapk

"VR has the potential to change the way companies conduct empathy training and recruit underrepresented groups, and Hyatt, Fidelity, and Hilton are three major players that are paving the virtual road for others. Business Insider spoke with leaders at these companies to map out how they're using VR for social good." https://buff.ly/2YJ9cg5 #VRforGood #VirtualReality

"Communication strategies like text messaging or emails are marvels of the modern world, but people in the past found ingenious solutions to the problem of how to communicate efficiently without the use of electricity or computers. In the ancient world, particularly in the ancient Near East, people were also able to communicate messages at the speed of light." Learn more:

"There’s almost always a passionate curator, steeped in the local lore and legends, ready to tell stories you won’t hear elsewhere. At these smaller Black history museums, the intimate lessons of the past are priceless." - Sheryl Nance-Nash. Learn more: