FUTURE HERITAGE

Future Heritage’ is a collaborative project in the field of rapid prototyping, handcrafts and social studies, that transform local heritage and location based knowledge for a sustainable, global society. Local communities (craftsmen and -women in the field of embroidery and pottery) created together with The Constitute new objects and patterns, which had be enhanced through 3D Printing.

Initial Point of this journey was the observation of the shifting perceptions on the idea of homeland for people in diaspora. Because of filter bubbles and selected online media longtime refugees and expats create and perceive a distracted image of homeland that is different from the real on ground situations. It is about romance, neglection of reality and the role of technological media.

Together with the Berlin based curator Jasmin Grimm and Sally Abu-Bakr from Ramallah Municipality we visited potters in Hebron, Ramallah and Bethlehem. During these visits, we 3D scanned various clay objects, discussed craft strategies and presented our idea of reworking the handmade pieces with a 3D printer in the same clay material. In a full day workshop we later produced digital prototypes together with the potters and printed them during the next days. By this a change results within the objects. The trace of hand is still visible in the single ceramic prints, but due to low resolution of either 3D printer and 3D scanner, it fades and becomes particular ghosty. This change displays in an objectified way what happens in online communication of expats and persons in the homeland. The topic stays solid, but the shape changes.

We want to worked together beyond political agendas, look behind media stereotypes and perceive culture through real and personal experiences. Also we wanted the communities to understand the value of contemporary art and build bridges between global innovation and local needs.

The project was starting point for a deeper investigation of the possibilities and challenges that come with ceramic 3D printing. Together with Alexander Jentsch from Newcrafts.org we professionalised the workflows and exhibited the pieces from the Future Heritage project internationally. Various Workshops in germany universities followed up.