Capturing cultural memory of an ageing society through Augmented Reality public artworks in the context of rapid urbanisation in China

Abstract

My doctoral research focuses on documenting the memories of urban cultural life among elderly populations in China through Augmented Reality (AR) artworks, by exploring pathways to construct collective memory in public spaces and to strengthen connections between older adults and their communities. This study is grounded in China’s rapid urbanisation and the social context of its ageing population. On the one hand, accelerated urbanisation has led to the fragmentation of cultural memories and the alienation of living spaces among elderly groups. On the other hand, communities, as central implementation sites for China's "active ageing" policies, are driving transformations in community planning toward cultural preservation and sustainable development. Shanghai's "15-minute life Circle" is an example of an attempt to respond to the challenges of urbanisation and ageing in China by enhancing the inclusiveness and cultural vitality of urban spaces. Notably, under China's urban digital transformation policies, the rate of Internet access and digital literacy among elderly populations has significantly improved. These are concrete manifestations of "active ageing" policies while establishing practical foundations for applying digital technologies in community memory construction.
Based on the theories of public interactive art (Lucy Lippard (1998) The Lure of the Local, Miwon Kwon (2004) One place after another, and Grant Kester (2013) Conversation Pieces) and digital media art (Lev Manovich (2006) The Poetics of Augmented Space, Sean Morey and John Tinnell (2016) Augmented Reality, and the combination of artists' urban artworks (including Tamiko Thiel (2021) Enter the Plastocene, and Masaki Fujihata (2017) Capture in Half Paris ver.) my research aims to analyse how AR artworks reconstruct urban cultural memory through spatial narrative and stimulate the public's thinking about the relationship between environmental change and social well-being, to enhance or expand the sense of community, and promote response to the current environment. I conducted research in two phases using a mixed research method during the data collection phase. In the first phase, I interviewed and collected oral histories, character portraits and vintage photos of 72 participants over 60 years of age in Shanghai and Chongqing. Based on this data, I produced 10 pieces of animation and 10 AR artworks. In the second phase, through field research activity in a community park in Chongqing, I presented the animation and AR artworks to 36 participants using the hopscotch game interface as an interactive medium and gathered their perceptions and reflections of the AR artworks through questionnaires.
My research has shown that animation clips and AR artworks are conversational bridges between participants. By visually presenting fragmented personal memories, these artworks stimulate participants to share life experiences actively, gradually constructing collective memory networks through collaborative narration. This interactive digital media model has the potential to enhance the sense of community identity of elderly groups, and it demonstrates AR art's potential in fostering social cohesion. However, the research also reveals a lack of awareness regarding the role of public art among elderly groups, indicated by some participants' limited knowledge and understanding of public art. This points to areas needing improvement for future research on community-based artistic practices.
Ultimately, the findings confirm that AR technology and artworks not only document individual memories but also effectively address the erosion of cultural memory in urbanisation by superimposing memories onto physical public spaces. Concurrently, AR’s integration within community initiatives is congruent with China's "active ageing" policy, fostering elderly participation and cultural identity whilst proffering culturally innovative solutions for human-centred community planning.

Date of Award	Nov 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Brighton
Supervisor	Charlotte Gould (Supervisor), Paul Sermon (Supervisor) & Roderick Mills (Supervisor)