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Unveiling The Heritage: Krystyna Bednarczyk (1923–2011) – Polish Poet and Co-Founder of Poets and Painters’ Press in London

Unveiling The Heritage: Krystyna Bednarczyk (1923–2011) – Polish Poet and Co-Founder of Poets and Painters’ Press in London

This endeavour forms part of the broader project “Unveiling the Heritage: Krystyna Bednarczyk – Polish Poet and Co-Founder of Poets and Painters’ Press in London”. Blue Point Art was invited to design and develop an augmented reality (AR) application that brings elements of Krystyna Bednarczyk’s life and work into a new, immersive form.

ARHeritageTour App – A Pilot Project

The ARHeritageTour App was created as a pilot to test the feasibility of using new technologies in heritage projects. Our implementation brought together a variety of artefacts to explore their complementarity in augmented space:

  • Sketches of Krystyna Bednarczyk by Felix Topolski, originally published in the quarterly Oficyna, re-designed into 3D objects.
  • The Oficyna logotype, designed by Zygmunt Turkiewicz, which became the Bednarczyk family’s trademark, transformed into a 3D model.
  • Photographs courtesy of Prof. Janusz Gruchała and MA Justyna Wysocka (Jagiellonian University, Cracow), where the OPIUM Archive is housed. These were used to create a short video sequence.
  • Film stills from the documentary “Errata do biografii” by Grzegorz Braun (2008), courtesy of TVP S.A., processed with background removal to experiment with opacity effects (currently supported only in Chrome for Android).
  • Our proposal for a “blue plaque” commemorating the activities of the Bednarczyks, also presented as a 3D model.

The application was built using open-source tools such as Blender and JavaScript libraries (notably Three.js, running on top of WebXR). This choice helped reduce costs and ensured broad dissemination of the project, though not without technological limitations. As a result, the app currently runs best on Android devices with Chrome 81+, and on iOS via the WebXR Viewer.

Collaboration and Presentation

The ARHeritageTour App was realised thanks to the cooperation with the Union of Polish Writers Abroad in London, within the framework of a project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund UK.
The Union of Polish Writers Abroad (ZPPnO) has dedicated significant efforts to the preservation and promotion of Polish émigré literature. Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, this initiative centres on the creative and editorial legacy of Krystyna Bednarczyk (1923–2011), a pioneering poet, editor, and co-founder of the London-based Oficyna (Poets and Painters’ Press). Alongside symposiums, workshops, and maps (both virtual and traditional), the AR application was conceptualised as a means of offering innovative, interactive engagement with her story for contemporary audiences.

The app was publicly presented during a heritage walk, where participants could interact with these digital artefacts in situ, bridging traditional literary research with immersive, location-based storytelling.

Through this project, Blue Point Art explored how augmented reality can enrich cultural heritage experiences, offering new ways to connect audiences with the lives and works of figures such as Krystyna Bednarczyk, and ensuring their legacies remain vibrant in both cultural memory and contemporary digital space.

We invite you to visit the official project website, where you can explore all aspects of the initiative, including the interactive map of places connected with Krystyna and Czesław Bednarczyk.

How to Use the AR-Heritage App

  1. Device Requirements:
    • Android 8.1 or later
    • iPhone (requires XRViewer or XR Browser installation)
  2. Access the App:
    • Scan the QR code or follow the provided link
https://ar-heritagetour.bluepointart.uk/
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  1. Grant Permissions:
    • When prompted, allow camera access
  2. Using the App:
    • Ensure you are in a well-lit environment
    • Look around through your phone to explore in Augmented Reality (AR)
    • A pink pointer circle should appear, tracking walls and floors
  3. Placing Objects:
    • Touch the pink pointer on the surface where you want to place an object
    • The app will then display memories and artwork related to Krystyna Bednarczyk and Poets’ Press
Heritage Fund UK logo