This paper will address the emergent realm of online ex-hibitions through the specificities of my doctoral re-search-creation thesis exhibition improvement becomes a wall, and the river meanders still, 2022. The online sound and video-based exhibition speaks to relations with water as they emerge and shift through urban devel-opment. Taking up a critical (re)reading of colonial no-tions of ‘improvement,’ my artist collaborators Danica Evering, Elijah Harper, and Shelby Lisk revisit the con-nection between Wonscotonach (the Don River) and the city of Tkarón:to. The exhibition’s form and curatorial process are both expressions of ‘the meander’, inspired by the non-linear trajectory of the pre-canalized Don Riv-er. The curatorial process of improvement becomes a wall, and the river meanders still began before the global COVID-19 pandemic and, subsequently, was derailed in March 2020. The exhibition’s final form was unknowable throughout much of the curatorial process. Thus, follow-ing the meander as a curatorial technique, the process, online exhibitionary structure, and content had to adapt through lingering uncertainty.

Currently, new perspectives have emerged, allowing a reevaluation and expansion of the notion of orphanhood in relation to archives.
This goes beyond issues of authorship and ownership, embracing a critical and activist vision that contemplates alternative definitions impacting both the public and private spheres. On the other hand, technological developments that are increasingly prevalent in our daily lives, specifically machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), are leading us to question the concept of archiving, the dynamics of orphaning or recreating, and the role of memory in the digital environment.

This interactive artwork explores the convergence of immersive extended reality (XR) technology and live-action roleplaying (LARP) as tools for rural community renaissance. Drawing inspiration from successful global projects, the artwork envisions a participatory experience that combines virtual and physical elements of a rural town's tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Participants wear VR headsets to be transported into an immersive XR simulation of the town, populated by villagers who play historical characters and activities. As users freely explore the simulated landscape, they can interact with virtual artifacts overlaid on physical props, uncovering stories of the past. Actors improvise responses, sharing legends, customs, and folklore to involve users in collective storytelling and collaborative worldbuilding. The artwork aims to ignite imagination and instill renewed purpose in rural youth by giving them agency as co-creators of an evolving XR-LARP experience that synthesizes tradition and innovation. Situated at the edge of emerging technologies and time-honored practices, the piece underscores how thoughtfully implemented immersion and roleplay can resonate across generations to sustain cultural vibrancy. Blending digital fabrication with embodied participation, this XR-LARP experience demonstrates a path for rural communities to revitalize their living heritage.

Visitors to Cultural Heritage (CH) sites are often only able to observe the current degraded state of these locations without the understanding of their history and personal connection possessed by local inhabitants. To facilitate expression of this intangible aspects of CH, we collected Generative AI (GenAI) created images of the past and future of CH sites from workshop participants, and displayed these images in Augmented Reality (AR) form, and as drawn by a physical drawing robot. The collected imagined CH images are shown in an AR app that uses markers on a large scale 3D map model of the city. The images are also drawn physically by a robot when visitors mention the names of the CH in answering questions to a chat query, serving as markers created in progress for the AR. Visitors found the experience engaging for illuminating intangible connections of people to CH sites. This work highlights the way GenAI-created images can be shown in AR and physical forms to empower imagination and expression for social purpose.

This study explores the role of art and technology in revealing and addressing social issues arising from urbanization, specifically in the case of unfinished buildings across various cities in China. Through literature review and practical case study of the “A Thousand Dreams Unbuilt” project, the application of 3D scanning, Virtual Reality (VR), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in understanding and addressing housing issues is analyzed. These technologies not only illustrate the aspirations of the owners of unfinished buildings for ideal living spaces but also evoke a deeper understanding and empathy for their situation. “A Thousand Dreams Unbuilt,” by integrating technology and art, offers attention to marginalized communities while challenging the audience's perception of reality and virtual worlds. This research demonstrates the potential of combining art and technology in promoting social justice and transformation, urging a re-examination of these tools in solving global housing issues.