Recovering our Jewish Legacy. Multisensorial Interactive Installations (MII) for Knowledge, Socialization and Didactical Explanation of the Jewish Quartiers of Tarragona, Tortosa and Falset (Catalonia, Spain)

The Jewish heritage of southern Catalonia is very important, but little known. Centuries have passed since the expulsion of our Jewish ancestors in 1492, and constant policies of concealment and destruction of their heritage have contributed to this forgetfulness. However, a policy of recovery of historical memory has begun, in recent decades. Unlike other areas, there is not preserved an impressive Jewish architectural or archaeological heritage, but we have a rich history witnessed by such important figures as the poet and philosopher Menahem ben saruq (920- ca. 970) or the translator Shem Tov Abraham Isaac of Tortosa (1196-1264). We present a project led by Prof. Dr. David Bea (Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona), Pilar Cugat and Carlos Lupprián (Association of Friends of the Jewish Quartier of Tortosa) designed to reclaim this legacy, socialize and explain it, using new technologies, specifically the MII (Multisensory Interactive Installations). Taking as survey areas the Medieval Jewish quartiers of Tarragona, Tortosa and Falset we intend to create three MII spaces, working with all senses (sight, smell, hearing, touch and taste), based on the use of tools such as multifocal audio (multifocal sound), images and videos with the ability to surprise, holograms or gastronomy experience. All these resources are activated by sensors, so the atmosphere is not linear, but without losing the thread of argument underlying the experience. This project aims to release from sensory experience the rich history of the Jewish legacy of southern Catalonia, and create an exportable model for managind and disseminating heritage.