heri|stage #84

2022

Augmented reality

QR codes linking to an Instagram* AR mask raise questions about the nature of digital legacy. Where previous generations left behind letters and photographs as their archive, the heritage of the social media era exists as endlessly replicable yet vulnerable data. Augmented reality here exposes a paradox: our digital footprints are simultaneously eternal (thanks to replication) and fragile (due to platform dependency).

If material artifacts are inherited and preserved from my grandparents and parents, what will remain of my generation or my children’s generation? A social network page with photo albums and saved memes? Photos in the cloud? Correspondence in a messenger?

Undoubtedly, in terms of reproducibility and copyability, this method will outperform dusty photo albums. But how enduring is this way of preserving the family archive and how accurate is it?