Memory Walk

Abstract

The reminiscence of a past memory is massively hindered by loss, as our human minds are in a constant fight with the foreword process of time. The Beirut blast forced people to become mnemonic devices in order to preserve the course of time and space, amidst destruction. Memory Walk attempts at the spatialization of urban memory in its tangible and intangible implications as a way to interpret, re-question and speculate about the impact of time and destruction. With the use of new technologies, experiments are conducted to digitize the urban memory and inhabit it in the virtual world. From photogrammetry, 3D scanning, modeling, volumetric imagery to Virtual Reality, it presents a unique and multilayered approach to engaging the audience in an immersive and intimate experience. It constructs the city in motion highlighting the passage of time and the inevitability of collapse, reminding us of our transience. What are we other than our own memories? We are made of all these dots in time where the shape and line of these memories fade, change, and reappear in a different form or maybe in a different time. It is an exploration of new speculative narratives creating an unprecedented dialogue within the virtual space opening new expressions, stories and possibilities of interpretation and interactions with the urban memory of Beirut. Virtual Reality is a space where the perception of time is altered and a medium to experience a deep sense of presence by exploring the boundaries between the real and the virtual