The scientific conference “Visualizing History: Digital Visualization, 3D Modelling and Artificial Intelligence for Cultural Heritage” was organized by the UNESCO Club “Knossos”, highlighting the transformative role of emerging digital technologies in the research, preservation and interpretation of cultural heritage.
Journalist and Branding Heritage Founder Katerina Frentzou presented the organization’s digital heritage initiatives, developed in collaboration with the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH) and the Computational Design Studio (ComDes).
→→Watch Katerina Frentzou’s presentation on how digital innovation, branding, and emerging technologies are transforming the preservation, interpretation, and global promotion of cultural heritage. HERE
Among the featured projects were the digitization of the Branding Heritage collections “Contemporary Minoans” and “Cretan Textiles”, which have been transformed into immersive virtual exhibitions, providing innovative digital access to contemporary cultural collections.
Special emphasis was given to the pioneering project “Digital Minoans”, where artworks inspired by Minoan civilization were transformed through generative art and Artificial Intelligence into dynamic digital narratives. The project was showcased as a large-scale public digital installation on the Venetian Walls of Heraklion, demonstrating how technology can reinterpret ancient cultural symbols for contemporary audiences.
Irini Kontaki, researcher at FORTH, presented advanced methodologies for the three-dimensional digitization of contemporary artworks, including photogrammetry, laser scanning, portable structured-light scanning with positioning sensors, as well as ultra-high-resolution digitization techniques for traditional Cretan textiles.
Dr. Stefanos Drakos, Founder of the Computational Design Studio (ComDes), explored the application of computational and algorithmic design to cultural heritage. His presentation demonstrated how mathematical models—such as diffusion equations—can transform static Minoan symbols into evolving digital particles and immersive visual experiences. Using the Digital Minoans project as a case study, he illustrated how Generative AI can serve not as a substitute for cultural heritage, but as a new creative language for interpreting and communicating it.
The collaboration between Branding Heritage, FORTH, and ComDes resulted in the creation of two immersive virtual exhibitions—an “Invisible Museum”—offering free public access to Branding Heritage’s collections through innovative digital environments and interactive storytelling.
The conference was held under the auspices of the Hellenic National Commission for UNESCO, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and the Municipality of Heraklion.
