MAKING MEANING OF A DONKEY FIGURINE: PRESERVING HERITAGE ACROSS TIME

The user enters the museum wearing mixed reality (MR) glasses. The donkey figurine appears as a floating 3D asset next to its physical display. A warm golden glow radiates from the figurine. The figurine starts to speak: “I was born in fire and dressed in gold, shaped by hands that believe objects could carry meaning beyond their form.”

The surrounding environment gradually transforms into a medieval artisan workshop, allowing users to witness the creation process of the figurine.

The beginning introduces the artefact  and orients the user within the MR environment. It establishes the donkey figurine as a meaningful object rather than a static display.

The figurine poses the question: “Was I merely a decoration? Or was I made to carry something greater than gold?”

The environment shifts dynamically through several possible historical contexts, e.g. trade & travel (the donkey as a symbol of economic force); ownership & social meaning (the donkey as a precious object associated with high rank); ritual context (the donkey as a ritual object in meaningful ceremonies and other aspects of spiritual life).

The narrative purpose of the middle section is to reveal the figurine’s broader historical significance and to suggest to users that an object is never merely an object.

As the final historical scene fades, the once-vibrant medieval world begins to fracture around the user. The sounds of marketplace, footsteps, and distinct voices disappear. The possible transitions are 1) time accelerates dramatically around the buried artefact (seasons flash by); 2) structures rise and decay overhead; 3) landscape transforms; 4) generations pass unseen.

A phrase appears in the holographic MR environment: What stories remain hidden in the objects we preserve?

After that, all the other objects in the room start glowing, or are highlighted to stimulate the sense of discovery.

Narrative purpose of the end section: to transform the conclusion from a “simple” rediscovery into a reflective meditation on memory, loss, preservation, and the relevance of heritage.