“art of the people for the people”

Mingei will explore the possibilities of representing and making accessible both tangible and intangible aspects of craft as cultural heritage (CH). Heritage Crafts (HCs) involve craft artefacts, materials, and tools and encompass craftsmanship as a form of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Intangible HC dimensions include dexterity, know-how, and skilled use of tools, as well as, tradition, and identity of the communities in which they are, or were, practiced. HCs are part of the history and have impact upon the economy of the areas in which they flourish. The significance and urgency to the preservation of HCs is underscored, as several are threatened with extinction.

Despite their cultural significance efforts for HC representation and preservation are scattered geographically and thematically. Mingei will provide means to establish HC representations based on digital assets, semantics, existing literature and repositories, as well as, mature digitisation and representation technologies. These representations will capture and preserve tangible and intangible dimensions of HCs.

Central to craftsmanship is skill and its transmission from master to apprentice. Mingei will capture the motion and tool usage of HC practitioners, from Living Human Treasures and archive documentaries, in order to preserve and illustrate skill and tool manipulation.

The represented knowledge will be availed through compelling experiential presentations, using storytelling and educational applications and based on AR and MR and the Internet.

Engaging cultural experiences have positive impact on interest growth and tourism, which support HC communities and institutions and foster HC sustainability and preservation.

The consortium brings together complementary expertise and content. Pilot themes exhibit richness in tangible and intangible dimensions and are directly related to European history.

Note: Loom image, courtesy of Haus der Seidenkultur