Digidaar: the virtual museum

Enter Digidaar

or watch this short video for more information:

When you enter the museum through the main entrance, you end up at a reception hall with additional information about visiting. 

From there, you can easily follow the lines on the floor to the exposition hall. If needed, there is also a backdoor that leads straight to the expositions. 

Otherwise, Digidaar also contains an archive centre, where you can browse through Voem's digitized archives. There is also a music corner, with music connected to Voem's label SAWNA. And last but not least, the event space, for which you can find the schedule at the entrance.

About the project

Digidaar is a virtual archive centre and museum where the heritage of Voem vzw comes to life in an interactive fashion. The project under which this space is developed runs from 2024 till 2026 and is titled Heritage and diversity in the Metaverse. 

Digidaar translates to ‘digital home’ from Arabic. Together with the communities surrounding Voem we are building a space, brick by digital brick, where heritage is not only stored but also shared, experienced, and shaped anew. 

With Digidaar we want to make this heritage accessible for the heritage community itself, as well as for a broader public – with a focus on younger and less well-represented groups. 

Voem: partner and archive creator  

Voem vzw is one of the archive creators linked with Amsab-ISH. For over 35 years, the social-cultural organisation has been committed to creating space for dialogue in a superdiverse society. Voem originated from within muslim communities in Belgium and has grown into a broad platform for art, culture, and social reflection. The organisation supports artists, organises community events and helps build urban networks around issues such as migration, identity, and heritage. 

Voem's archives – consisting of documents, photographs, posters, and audiovisual materials – are being stored by Amsab-ISH. This forms the foundation for Digidaar.   

From DiverzCity to Digidaar   

During the corona pandemic, Voem took their first steps into the digital world. DiverzCity became their virtual office space, ideal for meeting and collaborating. 

Digidaar builds upon this by adding a virtual museum environment, where Voem's heritage can be presented in an interactive manner. 

Co-creation as foundation  

Heritage for, and by, the community

From the start, Digidaar had been set up as a participative project. In the first project year we have brought together a diverse and engaged community surrounding Voem's heritage. Through conversations, creative sessions, and gatherings we worked together with volunteers, artists, and partner organisations affiliated with Voem. Their input was crucial to making choices regarding what we bring to the virtual world, and how we do so.    

A virtual space teeming with life  

Based on their input, we selected materials from Voem's archives and curated the opening exhibitions. The Czech company Space Makers then integrated all this content into an interactive 3D environment. Here users can not only discover the heritage, but in time will also be able to further interact with it – think photo collages, image editing, or highlighting favorite pieces. These options are still being developed, and can continue to grow in number as we receive user feedback.   

What does the future hold?  

During Heritage Day, on 27 April 2025, Digidaar was first presented to the public, at the Wintercircus in Ghent. 

In the second project year, starting July 2025, we will be fully committed on activating the space and creating engagement. We will let artists affiliated with Voem expose their work, host a creative competition, and use the virtual space for public activities. 

Related to this, we are examining how Digidaar can harbour forms of immaterial heritage such as calligraffiti, slam poetry, or textile arts. To bring this heritage to life in a digital environment, we will host interactive workshops with experts in their respective fields. 

A pioneer in digital heritage  

Digidaar is a cultural project, but also a technological experiment. We are actively seeking out news ways to share heritage in an interactive and digital manner. 

The knowledge we acquire in this way, we are eager to share with the broader heritage sector – through publications, workshops, and virtual tours. In addition, we are leading a community of practice where heritage professionals and technological experts can exchange ideas on the future of digital heritage work.  

News & events 

Partners

The project is a cooperation between Amsab-Institute for Social History and Voem vzw.

Technical execution performed by the Czech company Space Makers. 

In addition, we are building a community of practice where partners from the heritage and technology sectors can exchange ideas and expertise. 

• meemoo
• FARO
• Werkplaats Immaterieel Erfgoed
• Ghent Centre for Digital Humanities (UGent)
• DigitGlam (KU Leuven)
• Immersive Lab (AP Antwerpen)
• Experience Hub (Thomas More) 
• AmuseeVous
• FAAM
• Parcum
• Socius

Contact

Do you have questions, or do you wish to volunteer and help build Digidaar? Feel free to contact project associate Dit E-mail adres wordt beschermd tegen spambots. U moet JavaScript geactiveerd hebben om het te kunnen zien..