Re:Imagining The Past is a collaborative research project between American University of Sharjah (College of Architecture and Design) and NYUAD's Lab for Narrative Technologies and Spatial Installations initiated by Principal Investigator Prof. Zlatan Filipovic and Co-PI Prof. Sohail Dahdal. NTSI-Lab is commissioned to advise the project group in linear and non-linear storytelling strategies, to co-develop concepts, and to realise prototypes for site-specific installations at the abandoned village of Al Jazirat Al Hamra (JAH), Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.

Based on stories told by the former inhabitants of the village, today mostly living in Abu Dhabi, the researchers will work on preserving and documenting stories from the pre-oil era. This study, part ethnographic, part auto-ethnographic, will document the oral history of JAH while at the same time examining the process of creating alternative modes of viewing geolocated historical content. Final outcome of the project will be several examples of experimental location based AR applications to be exhibited in JAH village and in museum environments.

Main goals of this project are:
1. Preserve oral history
2. Explore new ways to exhibit oral history
3. Explore and apply different technologies to create experiences able to engage new generations in the history of the UAE