(ANIMATION) [re]store memory : a point-cloud experience

The following video is a clip from an architectural proposal that offers to use point-cloud technology to [re]store memory to a certain extent. The nature of the video is relatively abstract, covering the experience of a Singaporean citizen experiencing the residence of artist Eng Teng, known as the grandfather of sculpture in Singapore, as well as covering the topic of the loss of memory, through scans recovered from Ukraine, to discuss the unfortunate necessity of using this technology to safeguard our memory of spaces and places.
Accompanied by the fantastic 4AEM song by artist Grimes, the work was done using Blender, CloudCompare, Polycam, scans of the Eng Teng artwork at the NUS museum, as well as the fantastic actor Wisely Jun Heng Ong and the pre-production coordinator Silvia Alvarez de la Rosa.
Warning, video containing flashing images.
Contemporary museums are going through a process of updating their typology. Similar to how contemporary libraries are transitioning to 'médiathèques' or 'multimedia libraries', with books now operating in tandem with other tools for learning such as digital interfaces and other mediums, and spaces transitioning out of utter silence to lively chatter, museums are going through a renaissance both in how they are experienced and what they offer to experience. The long silent walks down long stretches of corridors between paintings are being replaced by digital alternatives, as the conversation is shifting to AR/VR as tools for redefining this museum typology, right in the zeitgeist of the metaverse inception. But behind these technological advances are encapsulated a fundamental change for museums: objects of historical, scientific, artistic, or cultural interest no longer need to be stored physically; hence can be stored with little limit in capacity and can be shared across the globe near instantaneously. Alongside this thought of positive applications, understanding its contextualisation for societal trends is vital, Meta (the company) itself has the ambition that for all its users AR/VR will be used from the moment you wake till the moment you sleep, similar to how we all almost keep our phones next to us. Our team wants to address "How might we [re]store memory?", by addressing a potential and a concern. By using as a design process and inspiration immersive technologies, we are looking to see how point clouds can be a key tool in reconstructing and storing memory. Furthermore, exploring how we can bridge the AR/VR experience into something that belongs entirely in the physical plane, both as a technical challenge and to confront the important issue of societies at large increasing disconnection between physical and digital realms.
Music: 4AEM, artist Grimes