“The Jazeera Al Hamra Digital Heritage Project: A Model for Digitally Preserving the Heritage of the Arabian Peninsula” presented by Thompson
Symposium:
- ISEA2014: 20th International Symposium on Electronic Art
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Session Title:
- Location/Space (Papers)
Presentation Title:
- The Jazeera Al Hamra Digital Heritage Project: A Model for Digitally Preserving the Heritage of the Arabian Peninsula
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Abstract:
The digital environment offers an opportunity to establish a museum model that supports contemporary museum thought in regard to: collective memory strategies; inclusivity; and equity of tangible and intangible culture heritage. Al Jazeera Al Hamra, a former coastal village in Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates, was abandoned at the time of the formation of the country in the late 1960s and 1970s. It is considered one of the last traditional fishing and pearl diving villages in the nation. As the buildings are now only remnants of a time past, not only does the architecture need to be documented and mapped, but also the stories and traditions of the people who once lived there need to be recorded. Creating a Web‑based virtual environment, which documents both the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Al Jazeera Al Hamra can provide a cohesive physical and social record of a traditional fishing and pearling village for future generations after the buildings and the people who had inhabited the town are gone. In addition to presenting an intuitive and relatively inexpensive model to implement for digitally preserving and re‑presenting tangible and intangible cultural heritage using Al Jazeera Al Hamra, an at‑risk site, this paper will address: the kinds of “artifacts” that are to be collected and cataloged. It will also take into consideration the project’s long term digital sustainability and show how this computer‑based participatory model falls within the guise of socially engaged art. The essay will conclude with practical, useful recommendations to inform current and future initiatives in preserving tangible and intangible heritage using digital media within the Arabian Peninsula region and beyond.
