Interesting conference on methods of visualising the past

On the UNESCO World Day for Audiovisual Heritage (27 October) this year, a scientific conference entitled “Visualising the past. From celluloid to augmented reality” was held in Warsaw. It was organised by the Archives of the Institute of National Remembrance and under the honorary patronage of the Polish National Commission for UNESCO.

The aim of the conference was to present and discuss various methods of recording audiovisual materials and photos, from traditional techniques using a film stock, through digital technologies, to virtual and augmented reality methods.

The conference began with a lecture by Adrianna Paradowska, deputy director of the New Technology Division, who presented immersive educational projects in the field of history implemented at the Institute of National Remembrance. Ms Paradowska emphasised the importance of immersive projects in historical education, especially for younger generations brought up in the digital era. Using specific examples, she showed how modern technologies can be used to convey knowledge about the past in an engaging way.

The following speakers discussed the following topics:

1. Michał Kosiorek – The role of immersive projects in education, examples from the “Niepodległa” Office.
2. Radosław Poboży – Video documentation in the IPN Archives – past, present and future.
3. Dorota Skotarczak, PhD with habilitation [Polish: dr hab.] – Presenting the past in films in the times of the Polish People’s Republic.
4. Małgorzata Smoleń, PhD – Analysis of the films “Fleischer’s Album” and “Weekday of Gestapo Officer Schmidt” in the context of the culture of remembrance.
5. Aleksander Kann – Boundaries between source knowledge and digital creation on the example of colourisation of photos from the Warsaw Uprising.
6. Michał Pieńkowski, PhD – Dilemmas of digital restoration of film relics.
7. Tomasz Kalisz – The role of a modern archive in the context of the TVP Documentation and Program Collections Center.

The conference ended with a discussion. The meeting emphasised the importance of modern technologies in preserving and presenting cultural heritage, and at the same time drew attention to issues related to ethics and authenticity in the reconstruction of the past.

Take a look at the photo gallery