"Being Eroded, Piece by Piece": Enhancing Engagement and Storytelling in Cultural Heritage Dissemination by Exhibiting GenAI Co-Creation Artifacts

Kexue Fu, Ruishan Wu, Yuying Tang, Yixin Chen, Bowen Liu, Ray LC

Abstract: Cultural Heritage is not just about tangible artifacts; it also includes intangible elements such as personal memories, community ties, and envisioned futures. Traditional museums and archives often emphasize physical items like architectural pieces and photos, while overlooking people’s personal and emotional connections to cultural heritage. To illustrate the personal connections people have with cultural heritage sites, we designed an exhibition that displayed images created by participants, which represent their perspectives and future visions of cultural heritage sites. The exhibition’s images, generated through GenAI, helped participants narratively describe cultural heritage locations, allowing them to express their visions of future threats like over-tourism and climate change on these sites. Contrary to constraints, co-creating with Generative AI associates participants with personal memories of cultural heritage, stimulating personal narratives and promoting deep reflection on cultural heritage preservation. The dissemination strategies we designed illustrate the use of GenAI to empower the expression of matters of cultural value beyond the physical.