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This article proposes some potential contributions of contemporary art to industrial and technological heritage discussions. The paper analyses the relations among art, industrial ruins, technological trash, heritage, and society from an archaeological perspective, although this standpoint is compared to and complemented with those of art and art history. First, the text presents how industrial sites and technological artefacts from the recent past are transformed for/by the artists. In doing so, it offers a preliminary basic typology of art-obsolescence relations illustrated with cases from Europe, Asia and the Americas. Four major kinds of interactions are introduced: the conversion of abandoned industrial buildings into art galleries and museums; the transformation of larger obsolete industrial/technological areas into creative hubs; the intervention of artists in industrial ruins; and the creative recycling of technological waste. Second, the text infers from the examples provided in the typology three possible functions of art regarding heritage: revelation/addition of value; mediation between the public and dark heritages; and recognition in technological and industrial history. In the end, the paper defends the role of art in the making of industrial and technological heritages, as well as in reconnecting them to society.

This paper aims to explore the social and economic values of textile manufacturing heritage sites in Yazd (Iran). A critical literature review was made to address the values of heritage. Then, the values of heritage were scrutinized based on industrial heritage sites in Yazd through the case study method. In-depth interviews with 12 experts were conducted, and the results showed that prior to reusing industrial heritage, its historical and cultural value should be recognized. The results also revealed that the holding of events at these sites with an impact on the collective memory should involve people. Moreover, adaptive reuse has had an impact on urban macroeconomics and created economic value added for locals. The results also confirmed that having multiple buildings inside a factory might help with the restoration phasing plan.

Media representations of Japan’s dynamic cities belie a growing national phenomenon. Urban migration, a declining birthrate and an aging population have transformed Japan’s countryside over the past thirty years. These demographic changes have resulted in socio-economic decline, abandoned buildings and loss of regional culture. This paper explores architecture’s role in facilitating cultural sustainability, education, and community connections to landscape.Despite the impacts of depopulation, some rural communities are embracing shrinkage and attempting to preserve their regional cultures. This poses a challenge for architecture, a profession dependent on urban and economic growth. In the unfamiliar context of degrowth, architects need to leverage existing buildings and resources.Among the leftover buildings in Japan’s depopulated areas, the public school is becoming increasingly prevalent. These structures are imbued with collective memory, and this history creates interesting opportunities for reuse. Additionally, the architectural flexibility of these schools makes them compelling sites for interventions, often central places in their communities. My research studies how the re-use of the buildings could generate new micro-economies and lifestyles.The research studies the potential outcomes of re-using a building type influenced by its country’s social, political, and economic forces. The research presents emerging methodologies for designers working in depopulated communities, including ethnographic and participatory strategies. Ultimately, the research questions how architecture can reassemble communities on the verge of cultural decay.

The research on industrial heritage is a powerful tool to discover hidden traces of a recent history, often relegated to the most remote corners of the collective memory. Valencia is a city full of industrial architectures which, after losing their original purely productive function, represent now workshops of art and style and a testing ground for architects of the last century. These buildings are now being used in a city that faces the challenge of contemporary living with ambitious projects and infrastructures. The reuse of old factories is therefore aimed at integrating them into an urban fabric with renewed functions, becoming an architectural, political and cultural necessity. This paper highlights the specificities of reuse projects that are not limited to the recovery of the building, but include the analysis of elements and systems that interact on different scales, from the enhancement of old production techniques to the territorial impact of new interventions.