(IN)TANGIBLE HERITAGE(S)
Abstract
As scientists we try to implement eye-tracking research in protection of historical monuments. Eye-tracking seems to be a very attractive method allowing a prosocial management of heritage. Registering how people look at different objects makes it possible to objectively analyze how a proposed modification of a historically valuable object or landscape affects their perception. However, not all aspects of using eye trackers are clear. One of the reasons is the difference in the socio-cultural context of architectural monuments. Some objects are significant internationally and constitute attractions recognizable all around the world (the Coliseum, the Great Wall of China, Notre-Dame). Other historically valuable objects may be seen as symbols contributing to national identity and known mostly to the citizens of a given country. For Poland such objects would be the Wawel Castle, the Crane in Gdańsk or the Warsaw Old Town. The largest group of objects are those that are recognized only by the people most passionate about architecture or who live in the given region. Such diversity makes it problematic to use eye trackers for prosocial management of cultural heritage, since it is not clear how the perception of those varied types of structures might differ depending on the nature of the beholder. It is also far from obvious whether all visual behaviours should be treated as equal. Should reactions of people whose identity is directly connected with the given monument considered more important than of those who might constitute the majority of tourists visiting the spot in question? In the presentation we will describe the project that we are conducting at the Wrocław University of Science and Technology. We will show the first individual results of our experiment, hoping that it will allow a newly established science team to initiate international cooperation. We also intend to promote using biometrical measurements in order to facilitate making the ideas of “smart cities” and “smart heritage” a reality.
Marta Rusnak, an architect and a lecturer at the Faculty of Architecture, Chairwomen of Academia Iuvenum, Wrocław University of Science and Technology in Poland. She received her PhD in the field of protection and conservation of historical monuments in 2012. She is particularly interested in the contemporary context of utilizing historical monuments, their adaptations, visual perception and museum studies. Her latest research is based on neurological tests aimed at studying the interactions between the monuments and their observers. It is her intention to apply eye-tracking research to verify existing architectural and conservatory theories, as well as to prosocially support both the management of cultural tourism and the legal protection of historical monuments. For more: https://wa.pwr.edu.pl/pracownicy/marta-rusnak
Marta Szmigiel, Optician, optometrist, educator. Lecturer at the Department of Optics and Photonics of the Wrocław University of Science and Technology, where she conducts classes with students of ophthalmic and optometry. She has performed at many conferences related to optics, optometry and ophthalmology in Poland and abroad. She is the author of numerous publications in the field of visual optics. Her main research interests are eye movements, both conscious and uninspired.
9:00 pm - 10:30 pm
Friday 17th June, 2022