As part of the Artificial Intelligence Honours Programme at Vrije University and the course “Discovering Nature” from the University of Amsterdam, Tommasso Mencattini and L. Tisci had the opportunity to work on an interdisciplinary project inspired by the “Description de l’Egypte”. While the course “Discovering Nature” aimed to highlight the crucial role that art played as an epistemic tool in the development of natural sciences in the 18th and 19th centuries, their project aimed to explore how science and technology can play a central role in projects in the field of humanities and arts. The project centered around the Temple of Ramses III in Medinet Habu and aimed to rebuild the temple in Unity. The main objective was not to create an exact replica but to build an immersive environment that evokes the sense of discovery that the authors of “Description de l’Egypte” felt while exploring Egypt. The project utilized the images and information from that work to reconstruct the temple.
The Network Institute provided the students with access to computers and virtual reality equipment from the Tech Labs on a weekly basis, enabling them to carry out their project. The focus of the Network Institute on interdisciplinary research aligns with the goals of their project. As digital technologies continue to shape and impact society, it is crucial to have a multidisciplinary approach to different fields of study, even in the most artistic fields. This project aims to achieve this interdisciplinary focus by supporting an artistic and historical project using cutting-edge technologies.
Final Video
The final video of the project can be accessed through this link: https://youtu.be/xMC9_qskFIg
Credits
Images’ scans: https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/collections/description-de-lgypte-ou-recueil-des-observations-et-des-recherches-qui-ont-t#/?tab=navigation
Music in the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdFwhhH2x7I&ab_channel=oldmoviemusic
Music in the demo: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JV4Td91MfkY
Paid assets used: https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/historic/ancient-egypt-pack-low-poly-189720 , https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/environments/historic/egyptian-temples-189992