Roi Re Illustration

Roi Re Illustration

Roi Re Illustration is an innovative digital cultural preservation project that showcases the vanishing heritage of Thai street peddlers through a sophisticated blend of traditional illustration and modern technology. This comprehensive online exhibition website, developed in 2019-2020, represents a significant contribution to cultural documentation and digital storytelling, employing a distinctive artistic approach to bridge generational gaps in cultural understanding. The project's primary objective is to cultivate appreciation and awareness among younger generations regarding traditional Thai street vending culture, which has been gradually disappearing due to rapid urbanization and modernization. Through meticulously crafted illustrations, the project documents and preserves the rich tapestry of street peddling traditions that have historically been integral to Thai society. The exhibition utilizes cutting-edge Augmented Reality (AR) technology in the form of interactive pop-up kiosks, allowing visitors to engage with historical content in physical spaces, particularly along culturally significant locations such as Charoen Krung Road. The project's methodology involved extensive research and documentation, primarily through oral histories collected from elder generations, addressing the challenge of limited official historical records. This innovative approach to cultural preservation earned recognition at the A' Design Award competition, receiving an Iron A' Design Award in the Social Design category, acknowledging its contribution to social innovation and cultural heritage preservation. The project's unique integration of traditional storytelling with modern digital interfaces demonstrates an effective model for preserving and transmitting cultural heritage to future generations.

cultural preservation, digital illustration, Thai heritage, street vendor documentation, augmented reality exhibition, interactive storytelling

— Adam Dawson