UNESCO World Heritage

I am proposing expanding the “Imaging Place” project to focus on sites which have been given “In Danger” status by the UNESCO World Heritage program. Since my early work as a public artist, I have aspired to achieve political ends with my work. This might seem like a stretch in the game-like environments of virtual worlds. The same appeared to be the case in the early days of the World Wide Web, but few today would doubt the Web’s political potential. There is a sense of urgency with this project in that many of the sites where I am proposing to work are at risk. An example of that risk is the UNESCO World Heritage site, Buddhas of Bamiyan, which was destroyed by the Taliban 2001.

 

I have identified a handful of sites from the List of World Heritage in Danger, which are good candidates for getting the project started.

• Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah’s Palace and Maiden Tower, Azerbaijan

• Abu Mena, Egypt

• Dresden Elbe Valley, Germany

• Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls, Jerusalem (Site proposed by Jordan)

• Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore, Pakistan

• Chan Chan Archaeological Zone, Peru

• Medieval Monuments in Kosovo, Serbia

• Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara, United Republic of Tanzania

• Coro and its Port, Venezuela

• Historic Town of Zabid, Yemen