(Re)framing built heritage through the machinic gaze

The machinic gaze emerges as a transformative force in heritage representation, reshaping how built heritage is perceived and documented through artificial intelligence (AI) models. This study introduces the concept to describe how machine learning and vision technologies distort and reorient perspectives on UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as Old Towns of Djenné, by storing, retrieving, and resynthesizing images from vast digital archives. Employing an image-text-image pipeline, the research leverages heteroscopia and anamorphosis—concepts from media studies—to expose the artifice of human gaze assumptions embedded in established heritage narratives. The machinic gaze not only challenges traditional representations but also highlights the underlying practices that define heritage, offering a critical reconfiguration of how we engage with cultural landmarks.

Arora, V., Magee, L., & Munn, L. (2024). (Re)framing built heritage through the machinic gaze. Journal of Social Archaeology, 24(2), 197–217. https://doi.org/10.1177/14696053241237949