Draft 03
Inquiry
In my previous iterations, I emphasized that digital tools are not merely cultural “storage devices” but active agents in reinterpreting and reconstructing memory. By following pre-defined constraints rather than subjective choice, they construct an alternative framework for shaping memory—one that appears neutral yet remains influenced by its constraints.
Pierre Nora (1989, p.13) argues that “Modern memory is, above all, archival. It relies entirely on the materiality of the trace, the immediacy of the recording, the visibility of the image.” Instead of treating cultural heritage solely as an archival record, this experiment subjects it to repeated cycles of digital deterioration, simulating physical decay in the real world. Each iteration alters the artifact in unpredictable ways, prompting the question: how does this continuous transformation shape contemporary perceptions of heritage and memory?
Methodology
To explore how digital media shapes the perception and preservation of cultural heritage—particularly inscribed stone texts, I analyzed how we recall text carved in physical materials. The memory of such inscriptions functions on three levels: we visually recognize the carved text, associate it with its pronunciation, and interpret its meaning within its historical and cultural context.
Inspired by Queneau’s (1998) experiments with linguistic and narrative variations in shaping perception, this project investigates how shifts in sensory dimensions (visual, auditory, and semantic memory) reshape memory in a digital context.
Iterations followed predefined rules, using only the character “伪” as input and TOP components as output, with no alterations to size or rotation.
Visual Dimension
I recorded digital weathering, fragmented the results into 3×3 grids, and reassembled them in TouchDesigner. This process constructs visual memory, examining whether the emergence of new forms through decay distorts our recollection of the original text and whether consistent fragments can serve as anchors for reconstruction.
Auditory Dimension
I mapped textual erosion onto the pronunciation of “伪” allowing decay to distort its pitch and tone. The altered sounds were then analyzed in TouchDesigner, producing geometric shapes that represent the extent of erosion, turning sonic decay into a visual system.
Semantic Dimension
Instead of allowing the character “伪” to erode, I replaced its form with semantic content, preserving meaning beyond its shape. This process questions whether cultural memory can persist through interpretation alone, without relying on physical representation.
Critical Reflection
This project challenges the notion that digital preservation is about maintaining an artifact’s original state. Here, iteration itself becomes the act of memory reconstruction, where each cycle of erosion and reinterpretation reshapes what is remembered and what is lost. Rather than erasing meaning, destruction generates new forms of cultural continuity.
As Maurer et al. (2013, p.v) state, “Contemporary designers make tools that enable others to use design, they create systems to engage the intrinsic complexity of technology and life.” Rather than simply using TouchDesigner as a visualization tool, I hacked its functionality, repurposing it as a system for recording and iterating decay. Instead of refining visuals, I introduced unpredictable disruptions, revealing how digital tools actively mediate memory rather than passively preserving it. If iteration continuously reshapes what is preserved, can digital archiving ever be neutral?
Iteration here is not about refining a fixed outcome but a process of ongoing reinterpretation. By embracing hacking as a way of challenging the tool’s intended purpose, this project repositions TouchDesigner not as a tool of control, but as an agent of cultural evolution.
Reference
Nora, P. (1989) ‘Between Memory and History: Les Lieux de Mémoire’, Representations, 26, pp. 7–24. University of California Press.
Queneau, Raymond, (1998) Exercises in style, London: John Calder [1947] 1998
Maurer, L., Edo Paulus, Puckey, J. and Roel Wouters (2013). Conditional design workbook. Amsterdam: Valiz.