Ars Electronica Festival: D.Efraimoglou Speech
The Foundation of the Hellenic World is a private non-profit
cultural institution based in Athens, Greece. Its primary
goal is to record, study and
present all aspects of Hellenic Civilisation, from Prehistoric
times to the present, throughout the world, utilising both
modern and traditional technologies. The underlying
concept behind the creation of the Foundation is the
notion that the study of the past promotes historical
understanding. We view history as a guiding force in
one's life, and a means of gaining self-knowledge.
Our staff includes archaeologists, historians, architects,
museologists, educationalists, computer scientists, graphic
designers, producers of multimedia presentations and 3D
animation modelers.
At present, the people of the Foundation are working on a
wide variety of projects.
Most of these are undertaken exclusively by our staff,
whereas other projects are realised in cooperation with acclaimed
academic and technological institutions in Greece and abroad.
The following are some of our most important current projects:
- The presentation of Hellenic History on the
Internet.
We are working on the creation of
15 web sites
that will cover 10000 years of Hellenic History. At the
same time we are creating web sites on various
subjects: the Olympic Games;
the first Council Houses;
the first modern Greek Council House;
Travellers of the 17th Century; the Byzantine Town of Mystras
and others. A mirror of
our web site is kindly hosted in the AEC.
- The compilation of an electronic
Data Bank
documenting the long Hellenic presence in Asia Minor. The data bank,
consisting of four Thesauri enriched by interactive encyclopaedias,
digital maps and architectural drawings, is intended for use both by
the academic community and the general public.
- The Genealogy
project which aims at reconstructing the family trees of
Asia Minor refugees who migrated to Greece after the
Turkish-Greek War of 1922.
- In addition, we have educational programs and activities aimed at
familiarising the public with the basic concepts of history, and
promoting historical understanding and collective memory. Some
of these programs are targeted at children and young adults;
others are based on the idea of life-long and informal learning for all.
- Of course, one of our most important projects is the creation of
scientifically accurate
three-dimensional digital
representations of architectural monuments. Up to now,
we are constructing two types of digital models:
- Highly detailed photorealistic digital models
of historical buildings. These can be used
to create still images and video animations in order to enrich
web pages, CD-ROMs, educational programs and documentaries.
Of course, they can also be used in virtual reality
presentations. Examples of such models are those of
the Council House
of ancient Miletus (shown in AEC's CAVE), the
Theatre
that you see in the video and 7 other public buildings of Miletus.
- VRML digital models used in Web sites, such as the model
of the Temple of Zeus
at Olympia, currently accessible in our Olympic Games web site,
and the model of the ancient
Theatre of Epidaurus,
which will soon be accessible in a web site designed specifically
to host it.
- Besides the above mentioned projects, the Foundation offers
scholarships and
grants to students and research-teams, in order to support further
development in studies and research about Hellenism throughout history.
The principal objective of the Foundation is the creation of
an innovative centre that will present Hellenic history and
culture to the public in a modern way, offering a wide range of
interactive learning experiences, taking advantage of information
technology, interactive multimedia and interpretative exhibitions,
or, alternatively through conventional exhibits.
The centre, which will open to the public around the end of
the century, will be situated on a large plot of land near
the center of Athens. It will consist of several buildings
designed according to the latest developments in
museology.
In conclusion, I would like to express our thanks for the
opportunity you have given us to present the work of the
Foundation within the framework of the Ars Electronica
Festival. We hope that our participation will mark the
beginning of a future cooperation and exchange of views as
regards to new technologies and their applications in the fields
of Art and Culture. We feel that we are pioneers in Greece
in the use of computer graphics, three-dimensional models,
and virtual reality for cutlural purposes, with the aim to open
new horizons, preserving and conveying our history to the
younger generations.
We wish to develop the best possible relations with other
modern museums and cultural institutions worldwide.
- Go back to:
- My Home Page
- FHW Home Page
Dimitris Efraimoglou / dimitris (AT) fhw.gr