The Theban Necropolis Preservation Initiative (original) (raw)

2020, The Aura in the Age of Digital Materiality. Rethinking Preservation in the Shadow of an Uncertain Future

Factum Arte and Factum Foundation have been working in the Valley of the Kings since 2001, as part of a long-term collaboration with the University of Basel under the aegis of the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities. Since 2009, this work has primarily been carried out through the Theban Necropolis Preservation Initiative (TNPI). The TNPI works on conserving and sustaining Egyptian cultural heritage using non-contact digital technology, with Egyptian staff in charge of all operations on the ground and external involvement focused on capacity development, training, support and technology transfer. The aim is to develop a sustainable structure that will help the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities to preserve the Valley of the Kings for future generations while encouraging tourism to Luxor and the West Bank. In 2019, the Initiative received the official patronage of the Egyptian National Commission for UNESCO. _______ A collective text by the team from the TNPI and the University of Basel, including: Aliaa Ismail, Adam Lowe, Susanne Bickel, Carlos Bayod, Elizabeth Mitchell, Silvia Álvarez and Charlotte Skene Catling Published in: The Aura in the Age of Digital Materiality, edited by Adam Lowe, Elizabeth Mitchell, Nicolas Béliard, Giulia Fornaciari, Tess Tomassini, Blanca Nieto and Guendalina Damone, Silvana Editoriale, 2020