ISTANA PUTERI BONGSU

Philosophy and Symbolism of Tapestries

Tapestries are visual narratives, blending classical mythology, biblical morality, and different artistic inspirations. They are dense with allegory and symbolism: lions represent courage, dogs loyalty, vines divine grace. Gardens symbolise paradise and divine order, while wilderness settings suggest danger, moral testing, or the unknown. Nature is not passive scenery but an active participant where a moral stage on which human virtue, drama, and destiny are displayed.

The Augmented Reality (AR) model for the tapestry The Meeting Between Alexander and Diogenes was developed as part of our exploration into how digital technologies can enrich the interpretation of heritage textiles. By embedding a digital layer onto a printed reproduction of the tapestry, we created an experience where visitors can scan the image using a portable device and immediately see the static woven scene transform into a short moving sequence with the help of AI. This dynamic presentation enables the tapestry not only to be viewed as an artefact but also to be experienced as a narrative medium, illustrating the story behind the imagery in a way that resonates with contemporary audiences. The development required close alignment between graphic design, animation, and AI and AR programming, as well as iterative testing to ensure seamless recognition of the image trigger and smooth playback of the animated overlay.

Kelingkan and Identity

This project integrates augmented reality (AR) for Kelingkan because it lets people feel, not just see, the local wisdom that is woven into this textile tradition. Unlike tapestry, whose narratives are often figurative, Kelingkan is abstract, the metallic patterns carry layers of symbolism that can be hard to understand without guidance. AR can reveal the stories behind the motifs and highlight stitch sequences. By creating moving images, it can speak to the cultural meaning and add context.

This matters to us because Kelingkan is at risk. In our fieldwork, we found that kelingkan is dying art in Palembang, for example, only two active artisans remain despite strong community demand. Younger generations often don’t recognise how motifs relate to identity and values, so pride fades with understanding. By pairing digitised patterns with AR and AI, the project translates subtle symbolism into accessible, living knowledge and instils pride in the younger generation.

Kelingkan is a window to local wisdom as the motifs represent communal values—such as the tali air, which counsels knowing one’s boundaries within society. Through AR, these “soft laws” become tangible: viewers can tap to learn meanings, trace a motif’s geometry, or hear an elder explain its origin. Kelingkan is not just an adornment; it is an emblem of Malay civilisation and manners (adat). Technology is such as AI and AR, helps to revive the values that are embedded in Kelingkan.

Developing a new approach and process
Several challenges emerged during the process. The first was technical: ensuring reliable image recognition across a range of lighting conditions, device types, and user interactions proved complex. Issues such as lag, screen resolution, and inconsistent internet connections could all affect the quality of the user experience. Another challenge was interpretive. Translating a historic tapestry into animated form requires careful decisions about how much to augment without distorting or oversimplifying the original meaning. Yet these challenges highlight significant opportunities. AI and AR allow a tapestry and embroidery, which is normally fixed in time and space, to become interactive and engaging for a wide audience, particularly the generations accustomed to digital storytelling. It offers curators, educators, and designers new ways of layering historical context, visual commentary, and narrative interpretation directly onto the artefact without physically altering it. Thus, this project has become a good platform for demonstrating the opportunity for technology to connect people with heritage and culture in a new interactive approach.

 

Additional photos can be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GYrSg3q7G/