Thinking Outside the Box: Strategies and Examples for in the Preservation and Development of Heritage

This paper present examples of positive economic and social impacts of cultural projects and mentions an interpretation of the positive interaction between development and culture. Several best practices are explored for each single topic and guidelines for future IDB projects are suggested. This paper complement the document: Thinking Outside the Box: Arguments for IADB's Involvement in the Preservation and Development of Heritage in which were discussed topics related to the role of culture in development and the social impact of culture.Culture & Arts, Heritage Conservation, Urban Development

Exploding iconography: The Mindbomb Project

The Mindbomb project was started by a group of young artists, journalists and writers, rich in creative resources. Together they created the social poster. It became a means to hack into the dominant discourse of mainstream politics, the mass media and the advertising industry. This paper will attempt to give an answer to the question: how to localize this critique in a non-differentiated global consumer culture? The argument in this paper centers around the idea that the Mindbomb project started as a challenge to the consumer culture. However, it later developed into a broader critique of contemporary Romanian society. A set of theoretical filters in the literature on aesthetic movements and culture jamming were used to map out the Mindbomb project. The present discussion of a single case may be a relevant addition to existing theoretical debates

Collectors Beware: A glimpse into the high-risk, high-reward world of antiquities and its dark underbelly

The market for Antiquities often sparks fierce moral and legal debates amongst the public and professionals. What most do not concern themselves with is the unusually high level of risk the market functions under. From cultural heritage concerns, to the surprising abundance of fake Antiquities available for purchase, and the dark market entwined with legitimate business, the market is saturated with danger and yet continues to operate. This thesis will investigate how the market forces come together, considering the differing roles preformed by collectors, museums, auction houses, galleries, and Antiquities dealers. In an attempt to answer the question, how does this market continue to function with these elevated risk factors? The market for Ancient Greek Ceramics over the past twenty years will be investigated to give an in-depth market analysis and evaluation of performance in light of risk factors, and project what the future may hold

Soil governance in Greece : a snapshot

For thousands of years, soil resources in Greece have been a critical underpinning of local socio-economies. However, soil threats are increasing rapidly, primarily due to human activity and the impacts of climate change. Greek and other European state governments have established legal frameworks to protect soil, but there is a great need for centralization and harmonization with European Law. This chapter highlights the importance of integrated soil governance frameworks that could be applied at the regional or international level while also supporting public engagement and local focus. It also considers the urgent need to address erosion - a major threat to soil resources in Greece that affects local well-being, environmental sustainability and heritage sites

The computerization of archaeology: survey on AI techniques

This paper analyses the application of artificial intelligence techniques to various areas of archaeology and more specifically: a) The use of software tools as a creative stimulus for the organization of exhibitions; the use of humanoid robots and holographic displays as guides that interact and involve museum visitors; b) The analysis of methods for the classification of fragments found in archaeological excavations and for the reconstruction of ceramics, with the recomposition of the parts of text missing from historical documents and epigraphs; c) The cataloguing and study of human remains to understand the social and historical context of belonging with the demonstration of the effectiveness of the AI techniques used; d) The detection of particularly difficult terrestrial archaeological sites with the analysis of the architectures of the Artificial Neural Networks most suitable for solving the problems presented by the site; the design of a study for the exploration of marine archaeological sites, located at depths that cannot be reached by man, through the construction of a freely explorable 3D version

Exploiting Television in Open and Distance Learning: The Case of Undergraduate Courses in Cultural Studies at the Hellenic Open University

This study aims to explore the level of integration television has in the educational process of the undergraduate courses of cultural studies of the Hellenic Open University (HOU), based on Bourdieu’s theoretical standpoints. Acquisition of the research data was performed through a suitable questionnaire. In this research 394 students participated, from the courses «Studies in the European Culture» and «Studies in the Greek Culture». The principal findings of the research are the following: Television is not integrated in the institutional habitus of HOU, regarding the way distance learning is provided. Nevertheless, the majority of the students of the sample approached educational knowledge in a constructivistic way, finally integrating television, which comprises an element of modern humans’ habitus, in personal learning tactics. Finally, the sample’s students desire the exploitation of television from HOU, like many Hellenic Open Universities do, in an international level. They also expressed their desire that HOU will create television educational courses, focusing mainly on presentation of museums, archaeological sites, historical documentaries as well as teachings and lectures clarifying the confusing parts of their educational material