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- Convenors:
-
Goran Djurdjevich
Lidija Stojanovic (Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Institute of Folklore Marko Cepenkov Ruzveltova 3, P.O.box 319 , Skopje 1000 Macedonia)
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- Chairs:
-
Goran Djurdjevich
Lidija Stojanovic (Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Institute of Folklore Marko Cepenkov Ruzveltova 3, P.O.box 319 , Skopje 1000 Macedonia)
Short Abstract
This panel explores how nature is mediated, materialized, and reimagined in digital and physical forms. We invite discussions on storytelling at the intersection of nature, material culture, and digital media, emphasizing non-human entanglements and narrative transformation.
Long Abstract
This panel invites contributions that interrogate the intersections of nature, materiality, and digital narratives. As ecological and technological crises increasingly shape human experience, folklore and storytelling respond with evolving vocabularies, new media forms, and shifting ontologies. How do digital platforms, archives, and artificial intelligence reframe what is considered “natural” or “supernatural”? How does material culture — from ritual objects to wearable sensors — inform or challenge traditional narrative frameworks?
We aim to explore how nature is mediated both through tangible artifacts and through digital technologies that extend the reach and form of storytelling. Papers might consider: the embodiment of ecological memory in material objects; digital reanimations of folklore and their relation to environmental imaginaries; or the role of AI and information disorder in constructing or distorting nature narratives. We are particularly interested in non-human perspectives, multispecies storytelling, and assemblages that trouble the binary of nature and culture.
By focusing on material and digital modes of narration, this panel asks what it means to tell stories in, with, and about nature today. It welcomes interdisciplinary approaches — from ethnography and folklore studies to media theory, environmental humanities, and STS — that explore how the “natures” of narrative are themselves transformed by the media, materials, and ecologies they inhabit.
Accepted papers
Session 1 Saturday 13 June, 2026, -Paper short abstract
The presentation focuses on sculptural works by Weronika Lucińska, whose themes revolve around water, fluidity, and the environment. The paradox of these works is that, in their static form, they beautifully convey the energy of fluidity, change, and life.
Paper long abstract
This presentation focuses on sculptural works by Weronika Lucińska, whose themes are water, fluidity, and the environment. The paradox of these works is that, in their static form, they beautifully convey the energy of fluidity, change, and life. Lucińska's water sculptures are presented in various settings: outdoors—by the river, in old buildings, in art galleries, and at the philharmonic hall. Each time, they "flow" differently, conveying a different meaning. Culture and nature resonate here on many levels. The presentation will be situated within the theories of ecocriticism and ecofeminism.
Paper short abstract
We investigate the embodiment of ecological memory in objects of folk art, through digitized museum samples of embroidery and woven fabrics, decorated with the “tree of life”, focusing on the significance of this motif as coded language that narrates the connection between humans and nature.
Paper long abstract
Studying examples of digital narratives related to the representation of nature in Greek folk culture, we use digitized museum samples of embroidery and woven fabrics, decorated with the “tree of life”. The research focuses on this, as a basic central motif found in bridal embroidery and dowry fabrics (18th-early 20th century), in various local variations, sometimes decorated with colorful fruits, brightly colored flowers, birds, anthropomorphic figures, and otherwise, as part of a narrative representation with many characters depicting the ritual customs of a wedding procession. In digitized museum collections the “tree of life» is documented as a symbol of fertility, vitality, abundance, and rebirth, giving material substance to traditional practices, values, and gendered attitudes related to the cycle of life.
Using samples from Crete, the Northern Sporades, Epirus, and elsewhere, we will shed light on the multiple narratives of the “tree of life” according to the cultural context of its production and use, in connection with the aesthetic perceptions and value system of each region. Wedding embroidery in particular depicts ritual customs related to marriage, with the “tree of life” forming part of narrative and symbolic representations. By focusing on material and digital forms of storytelling, we believe that embroideries and weavings decorated with the tree of life can serve as an excellent example of how nature is mediated both through tangible artifacts and through digital technologies.
Our approach integrates folklore studies focused on the research and study of folk arts and digital folklore, with anthropological study of material culture.
Paper short abstract
Hyperarchaeology or archaeology without material culture is newly-coined terms focused on new spaces, new heritage and new numismatics. The paper focuses on nature within AI-generated art, AR such as Pokemon Go and digital albums Animal Kingdom/Životinjsko carstvo.
Paper long abstract
According to UNESCO’s Charter on the Preservation of Digital Heritage (2003), digital heritage includes “cultural, educational, scientific, and administrative resources, as well as technical, legal, medical, and other kinds of information created digitally, or converted into digital form from existing analogue resources.”
I propose the term hyperarchaeology as a conceptual framework for understanding these emergent phenomena, drawing from hyperhistory (L. Floridi), hyperobjects (T. Morton), and the technological idea of hyperlinks. Hyperarchaeology can be defined as archaeology without material culture.
The first section explores virtual reality (VR), holograms, and digital avatars—spaces where physical boundaries dissolve and new forms of immersive exploration emerge. Rather than focusing on VR simulations of existing sites, I examine newly-created VR spaces as potential archaeological sites and heritage. Similarly, holograms and digital avatars are treated as original forms of heritage, not reconstructions. A key case study is Pokémon GO, an augmented-reality game where players encounter avatars overlaid on real-world locations.
The second section investigates non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and AI-generated art. The digital album Igraonica mirrors a 2016 print album in content but adds interactivity—quizzes, exchange pages—blending digital and traditional heritage.
The third chapter analyzes the disruptive influence of cryptocurrencies on numismatics. For example, Spanish olive oil brand Castillo de Canena uses blockchain (TrustOS by Telefónica Tech) to certify the authenticity and traceability of its products.
The paper’s central aim is to analyze the nature and representations of nature within hyperarchaeology through selected digital case studies.
Paper short abstract
The legend of Rada’s immurement in Kratovo, North Macedonia, evolves from a foundation sacrifice to digital and tourist narratives. It links humans, non-humans, and architecture, showing how folklore shapes memory, embodiment, and landscape.
Paper long abstract
This paper examines the transformations of the immurement motif in South-East European folklore through the case of Rada’s Bridge in Kratovo, North Macedonia. In the legend, Rada is immured in the bridge’s foundations as a foundation sacrifice to secure the bridge’s construction. Her body mediates between human builders and non-human forces, weaving together woman, water, and architecture.
Over time, the narrative has undergone significant shifts: from its origin as a foundation sacrifice, through patriarchal readings portraying Rada as a silenced victim, to contemporary circulation in digital media and tourism, in which Rada often appears less as an individual than as a spectral presence hovering between myth and landscape. An entanglement-oriented analysis illuminates how Rada’s story persists at the intersection of embodiment, river and landscape, architectural materiality, and digital reanimation. The immurement motif continues to function as a site where cultural memory, ecological imaginaries, and narrative transformation converge, revealing the enduring power of folklore to mediate and reimagine human and non-human relationships.
Paper short abstract
In an era deeply influenced by eco- and technological crises, this paper explores how narratives foster an ecohabitus. Grounded in ontological pluralism, it analyzes the prevalence of nature-deficit disorder in video games while examining the innovative reimagining of totems in art practices.
Paper long abstract
This paper investigates ontological pluralism through traditional folk narratives and beliefs, which extend beyond the human realm to encompass sacred woods, waters, stones, and totems, alongside their functional equivalents in contemporary practices and digital narratives, such as video games. Its primary aim is to examine how storytelling in, with, and about nature fosters an ecohabitus and enhances human well-being amid escalating ecological and technological crises. The study explores two key perspectives. First, it analyzes the digital transformation of folk narratives in video games, investigating how the "natures" of these narratives are reshaped by the media and ecologies they inhabit, through concepts like translocations and the phenomenology of technology (Rogers, 2018; Chang, 2019). It also addresses the risks of "nature-deficit disorder" (Chang, 2011), highlighting the consequences of diminished nature connections in digital spaces. Second, the paper examines the reimagination of totems in contemporary art and narratives, drawing on ontological pluralism (Descola). This approach reframes totems not as mere cultural symbols but as powerful spiritual conduits linking human consciousness to a mystical reality. By doing so, it revitalizes totemic practices as dynamic modes of ecological connection, challenging the entrenched nature-culture binary and promoting human well-being.Through these analyses, the paper underscores the transformative potential of narratives in cultivating ecological awareness and harmonious relationships with the environment, offering insights into how traditional and digital storytelling can address contemporary crises and foster a deeper connection to the natural world.
Paper short abstract
This study explores avian totems in digital contexts, comparing Buddhist and Christian bird symbolism with AI visualizations to analyze how technology revitalizes ancient human-bird-divine narratives, advancing digital totemism theory.
Paper long abstract
Abstract Overview: This research explores how bird totems regain cross-cultural narrative vitality in the digital age. By comparing traditional visual expressions of Buddhist bird totems in Dunhuang Caves (such as Kalavinka) and bird deities frequently mentioned in mystical Christian art with bird image generation on contemporary AI art platforms, the study examines how digital technology reactivates the ancient "human-bird-divine" triadic narrative structure.
Based on my research in "Ritual and Magic of Bird Totems in Buddhist Visual Culture" and mystical Christian mythological art, I analyze how digital AI generation algorithms become new mediums for cross-species narratives, exploring whether machine learning can "understand" the sacred significance of birds across different civilizations.
As an interdisciplinary art researcher, I specialize in using artistic approaches to generate various bird totem images or story videos through digital AI to showcase unique and interesting discoveries related to this theme.
Academic Innovation:Extending my professional research on bird totems in mythology into the digital humanities field, pioneering a new direction in "digital totemism"
Paper short abstract
A group of Tibetan environmentalists and herders use state-endorsed rangeland conservation practices to legitimize pastoralists way of life, through artistic, multispecies visual narratives. These expressions make pastoralism narratable, legitimate, modern, and seemingly apolitical.
Paper long abstract
In order to combat rangeland degradation, the Chinese state has invested heavily in geoengineering projects such as reseeding. Based on a specific case study of a grassroots Tibetan rangeland conservation practice, this paper shows Tibetan herders and environmentalists in Zoige built upon such projects, but went beyond the state's conservation goal. Their practices address both the ecological and social reality of the rangeland: The rangeland is degrading and the continuation of pastoralism is at stake. Moreover, this case study highlights the importance and power of environmental storytelling. The herders use rangeland conservation to legitimize pastoralists' way of life through their artistic, multispecies, visual narratives. This case study demonstrates that an alliance with modern environmentalism and science not only lends legitimacy to Tibetan cultural practices, but also creates new meaning for contemporary Tibetan pastoralism by embedding it in modernity and internationality. These artistic expressions often connect pastoral cultural with global conservation ideas, charismatic, photogenic highland animals (e.g. snow leopards and black-necked cranes) and idyllic rangelands. These expressions makes pastoralism narratable, legitimate, modern, and apolitical, or provides political expression in a subtle rather than a confrontational manner.
Paper short abstract
This paper analyses short online videos where AI developers, founders, and CEOs use metaphors of nature and the natural to frame AI as a threat or opportunity. Thus, digital space polarises into optimistic and pessimistic narratives, placing the burden of choice on the audience.
Paper long abstract
The presentation is based on an analysis of post-science fiction narratives used by founders, developers, and CEOs of companies developing artificial intelligence, which circulate in the form of short video (reels) on social networks such as Instagram and YouTube. Our focus is on the metaphors and allegories of nature, the natural, the human, and the social through which artificial intelligence is described in these videos. Certain narratives can be categorised, on one side, as progressive, techno-utopian messages that laud AI as the essential continuation of natural evolution, promising an improved future for humanity. Conversely, there are negative, almost fatalistic narratives that depict AI as a natural force that poses a risk of social disintegration and potentially even human extinction. Regardless of whether they take an optimistic or pessimistic position, many authors of media content use a new trope: "it's not science fiction anymore".
Through this analysis, we aim to show how metaphors related to nature, humanity, and sociality are mobilised as key resources in the articulation of these opposing visions. As in political or cultural conflicts, here too the general public is urged to take a stance in a debate shaped by technological elites. In this way, digital narratives about AI not only transform our understandings of nature but also redistribute the burden of deciding the direction of our collective future.
We approach the digital space as an ethnographic field, drawing concepts from utopian studies together with theories of metaphor as tools for explaining the post-SF world and its phenomena.
Paper short abstract
Absence or presence of nature in videogames of the walking simulator and the adventure genre can provoke myriad of emotional responses from players. It can be seen as daunting, provocative to think about and to imagine, and it can be seen as a projection of a possible future.
Paper long abstract
Nature in videogames of the walking simulator and the adventure genre can inspire players of videogames to experience different emotional responses. Absence of nature can be interpreted as something concerning and worthy to reflect on in depth while presence of nature can be seen as something that offers peace and serenity. The presentation proposes an idea of how absence or presence of nature in a selection of videogames of the walking simulator genre (with elements of horror) and videogames of the adventure genre can be experienced as a potential window to a foreseeable future, and how this absence can be stopped from happening before it happens.
Presence of nature offers a sense of peace in players because it simulates, to an extend, the "real" world, offering them liberating experiences of open world exploration. Absence of nature can be apocalyptic and warning, while presence of nature usually does not provoke thoughts of what life could be, or could look like, without nature in it.
The idea of the presentation is to show the potential of videogames in general, and of specific videogames, in how they artistically portray humankind's possible and potential future through ideas of nature, and how nature is represented in the artistic world of digital media.
Paper short abstract
This paper explores the redesign of geometric motifs from Macedonian traditional embroidery, focusing on the bridal shirt Crnogorka (Montenegrin woman) from Skopska Crna Gora—a region near Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia—preserving identity through contemporary design.
Paper long abstract
This paper explores the redesign of geometric motifs from Macedonian traditional ornamentation as a form of contemporary expression that bridges heritage and innovation. The case study focuses on the embroidery of the bridal shirt known as Crnogorka (Montenegrin woman) from Skopska Crna Gora, a region near Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia. These embroidered patterns, with their strict geometric rhythm and stylized symbolism, reflect both local identity and universal visual language.
The research follows the transformation process: selecting motifs, stylizing them, digitally reinterpreting them, and integrating them into contemporary design contexts. This creative adaptation shows how tradition can be preserved while being reframed, ensuring that cultural memory remains dynamic and relevant. The study argues that traditional forms are not static relics but living resources that can be reimagined for modern artistic and design practices.
Within the framework of collective memory, the paper highlights how the reinterpretation of Crnogorka motifs contributes to continuity between past and present. The transformation of these patterns affirms the enduring value of Macedonian textile heritage while opening new pathways for its expression in global contemporary design. It emphasizes the importance of folklore and ornamentation as vital cultural narratives that sustain identity across generations.