RETOLD System: Where we stand now

by Magdalena Zielińska
EXARC (The Netherlands)

The RETOLD system focusses on documenting crafts, the people behind them, and the buildings they are associated with, to help museums preserve and share their cultural heritage. It involves digitizing collected information using available techniques to ensure it is archived for future use and accessible for sharing through various media such as images, audio, video, and 3D models.

The documentation process includes storytelling from a craftsperson’s perspective - highlighting the tools, installations, and activities involved, even when there isn’t a tangible product. Additionally, buildings, whether historical or reconstructed, play a significant role in these narratives, having their own stories tied to past usage, their current role within museums, and their architectural features.

To streamline the documentation of crafts and buildings we have restructured existing forms (using experience from working on the first two versions of app) so that:
1.) Crafts, whether traditional, historical, or archaeological, can be documented uniformly. The system allows certain repetitive items (documenter, craftsperson, tool, installation) to be pre-filled and enables flexible submission of documentation, including video footage. This ensures that museums can choose the level of detail they wish to record and share, tailoring it to their target audience.
2.) For building documentation, the system uses forms for both historical and reconstructed houses, focusing on original construction, reconstruction processes, and detailed architectural descriptions. Next to it we collect information about every detail of the new building, like doors, windows, fire places, stairs etc. The integration of 3D models enhances the documentation process, allowing users to explore buildings through virtual walkthroughs. This approach is intended for both maintenance and storytelling purposes, adding interactive elements like text, video, and images.

Efforts have been made to refine the documentation system by minimizing open-ended responses, encouraging users to select predefined options, which streamlines data collection and allows for easy filtering in the future. Though still a work in progress, this system is designed to evolve through user feedback.

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