Digidaar: the virtual museum

Visit Digidaar

or first watch this short video with additional explanation:

When you enter the museum through the main entrance, you will find yourself in an entrance hall with additional information about its use.

From there, you can easily walk to the exhibition space , with lines on the floor helping to guide you. If you prefer, you can also a back door directly into the exhibitions.

Digidaar also includes an archive center where you can consult Voem's digitized archive. There's also a music corner where you can listen to new music from Voem's label, SAWNA. Finally, there's an event space , the schedule of which can be found on the calendar.

About Digidaar

Digidaar is a virtual archive and museum space where the heritage of Voem vzw comes to life interactively. The project developing this space runs from 2024 to 2026 under the title " Heritage and Diversity in the Metaverse.

" Digidaar literally means "digital home" in Arabic. Together with the communities surrounding Voem, we are gradually building a space where heritage is not only preserved but also shared, experienced, and shaped.

With Digidaar, we want to make this heritage accessible to both the heritage communities themselves and the general public – with special attention to young people and less-represented groups.

Voem: partner and archive creator  

Voem vzw is one of the archive creators of Amsab-ISG. For over 35 years, this socio-cultural organization has been committed to fostering encounters and dialogue in a highly diverse society. Voem originated from Belgian Muslim communities and has grown into a broad platform for art, culture, and social reflection. Voem supports artists, organizes community activities, and contributes to urban networks focused on themes such as migration, identity, and heritage.

The Voem archive—consisting of documents, photos, posters, and audiovisual material—is managed by Amsab-ISG. This forms the foundation of Digidaar.  

From DiverzCity to Digidaar  

During the corona pandemic, Voem took its first steps into the digital world with DiverzCity : a virtual 3D space for meeting and collaboration.

Digidaar builds on this and adds a new layer: a digital museum environment where Voem's heritage is presented interactively. The collaboration between Voem and Amsab-ISG was a logical step in this process.  

Co-creation as a foundation  

Heritage with and by the community  

Digidaar was conceived from the outset as a participatory process. In the first year of the project, we brought together a diverse and engaged community around Voem's heritage. Through conversations, creative sessions, and gatherings, we collaborated with Voem volunteers, artists, and partner organizations. Their input was crucial in determining which heritage we wanted to showcase and how we could present it digitally.   

A virtual space that lives  

Based on this input, we selected material from the Voem archive and jointly designed the structure of the virtual environment. The Czech company Space Makers developed this into an interactive 3D space where visitors can not only discover the heritage but also actively engage with it. Think of features like creating photo collages, manipulating images, or highlighting favorite pieces. These interactive features are currently under development and will continue to evolve after the launch thanks to user feedback.  

What does the future hold?  

Digidaar's first year of operation is almost over. During Heritage Day on April 27, 2025, Digidaar was presented to a wide audience for the first time at the Ghent Winter Circus. 

In the second year of the project – starting in the summer of 2025 – we will focus on activation and engagement. We want to organize creative competitions, feature artists from the Voem network, and utilize the virtual space for public activities.  

We're also exploring how we can incorporate intangible heritage, such as calligraphy graffiti, slam poetry, and textile art, into Digidaar. This includes interactive workshops and guided sessions with artists who bring this heritage to life in the digital environment.  

A pioneer in digital heritage  

Digidaar is not only a cultural project but also a technological experiment. We actively seek new ways to make heritage accessible interactively and digitally.  

We are eager to share the knowledge we gain with the wider heritage sector – through publications, workshops, and virtual tours. We are also building a learning network where heritage professionals and technology experts can inspire each other and exchange ideas about the future of digital heritage management. 

News & Events

Partners

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

The technical implementation is in the hands of the Czech company Space Makers .

In addition, we are building a learning network in which partners from the heritage and technology sectors exchange knowledge and expertise.

• meemoo
• FARO
• Intangible Heritage Workshop
• Ghent Center for Digital Humanities (UGent)
• DigitGlam (KU Leuven)
• Immersive Lab (AP Antwerp)
• Experience Hub (Thomas More)
• AmuseeVous
• FAMOUS
• Parkum
• Socius

Contact

Do you have questions about the project or would you like to volunteer to help build the virtual space? Please contact us via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..