Evoking Cultural Memory and Nostalgia with Volumetric Visualizations

NeRFs and Point Clouds as Metaphors for Displacement

Abstract

This article examines the use of NeRF and point cloud visualizations to evoke cultural memory and nostalgia. Employing a triune framework that encompasses cognitive, emotional, and placial aspects, the study investigates how advanced volumetric imaging techniques can be used to represent and convey aspects of the complex experience of displacement. Contextualized through the analysis of a 5-channel immersive installation created by the authors, this inquiry analyzes technical processes and considers ethical implications, while also providing a novel approach to creating visual representations of memory and belonging.