This project will help fund our efforts to digitally preserve and archive historic sites, monuments, cultural events, and artifacts in Venezuela, including San Rafael de Mucuchies Chapel in the Andes, the Dancing Devils of Corpus Christi, a historic barrio (shanty town) in a Caracas suburb, and El Calvario Park in downtown Caracas. In addition we'll be training photographers there in order that the local community can sustain their preservation practices independently.
Political, economic, and social turmoil have all taken their toll on Venezuelan citizens, but it's also affecting local monuments, artifacts, and historic sites across the country. Many of these items have been looted, vandalized, or stolen and sold on the black market. These cultural symbols are irreplaceable and represent much of the country's history.
We have already done one phase of digital preservation at UNESCO sites across the country; now we'd like to implement a phase 2, with 4 new initiatives. You'll be helping us fund cultural preservation in a country that lacks the necessary digital skills or gear to successfully capture their precious heritage before it's gone forever. If the community were to rebuild, then the quality of such computationally analyzed 3D solves would allow for a much more accurate reconstruction reference.
Our initiative will not only begin the digital archiving process of hundreds of national artifacts; we'll be cultivating a self-sustaining photogrammetry community within the country. It is our hope that we can help Venezuelans maintain a sense of identity through heritage, which we believe is an integral component for unity moving forward.. We believe the 3D models derived are of such a high level of detail that it will enable future generations to continue to experience these treasures.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
