Conversation with the Artists
How do NFTs contribute to the support of cultural heritage?
NFTs contribute to cultural heritage by digitising and preserving unique elements from our heritage, ensuring global accessibility and making it a living part of our collective legacy. Ara Chronicles, for example, reimagines and rejuvenates ancient Indian folklore through NFTs, making it accessible worldwide. These cards offer educational insights into cultural heritage, promoting a deeper understanding of Indian traditions in a fun and engaging way. Operating on Web3 blockchain technology and embracing decentralisation, they engage a diverse global community for long-term sustainability. Ara Chronicles champions underrepresented creators and authenticates Indian folklore from a contemporary, feminist perspective. In essence, NFTs in Ara Chronicles provide a holistic approach to preserving, sharing, and celebrating our rich cultural heritage.
What makes this project unique and significant?
‘Ara Chronicles’ creatively merges digital innovation with cultural heritage preservation. It breathes new life into ancient traditions and stories, considering socio-cultural influences, digitises and educates a diverse community, and focuses on underrepresented creators and feminist perspectives, ensuring the essence of these stories endures and remains cherished for generations. Each NFT offers access to cultural significance, origin stories, and symbolism, making heritage education engaging. In essence, this project bridges the past and present, rendering cultural heritage accessible, educational, and captivating for all.
What are the future plans for this project?
In the enchanting world of Ara Chronicles, where dreams and possibilities soar freely, our future plans follow suit, reaching for the stars. We aim to tokenize additional Ara forms and companions, along with offering physical and digital collectables like cards, posters, and books down the line with future drops. We're also aiming to introduce augmented reality (AR) for interactive exhibitions, and there's a possibility of creating AR lens filters for Instagram, as well as 3D models for a more immersive experience. We're also planning to expand our website into a treasure trove of resources, complete with bibliographies and historical gems.
For our younger audience and the young-at-heart adults, our first graphic novel from the series is almost ready to come to life, with illustrations starting shortly. Simultaneously, we will continue to craft NFTs to expand our Ara Chronicles world. We're also exploring merchandise tailored for children. Additionally, we're excited about the potential of creating an immersive metaverse or a game featuring Ara and her companions, in collaboration with expert developers. To support these initiatives, we will actively seek grants and funding opportunities for prototyping and further development. These future plans aim to make our project an even more dynamic and engaging platform for preserving and sharing cultural heritage.
