The Landecker Digital Memory Lab just finished its first design sprint focused on digital Holocaust memory in Serbia last week. We were joined by our local partner Terraforming and Ambassador Edward Ferguson from the British Embassy in Serbia. Participants from across academic, creative, technology, heritage, and education sectors came together through site visits, workshops, collaborative discussion, and prototype development.
From visits to the Novi Sad Synagogue, the Monument to the Victims of the Novi Sad Raid, Čurug, and the Lotus Flower Monument, to group discussions, prototyping, and final pitches presented to funders from the Claims Conference, the design sprint created space for reflection, experimentation, and collective thinking across disciplines and borders. Together, we were exploring how to connect and make visible sites of non-commemoration.
During the week, the Landecker Digital Memory Lab officiated its partnership with local NGO Terraforming by announcing their future collaboration on the Hilda Dajč International Digital Holocaust Memory Award - the first such initiative focused on global digital practice in this field. At a time when Holocaust memory is particular at risk in Serbia, this partnership serves as an act of solidarity with students, academics, and memory professionals in the country.
This was the first in a series of eight international design sprints, and we look forward to continuing these conversations and collaborations in the months and years ahead. For more information, please read our blog.