Preserving what makes a human presence recognisable is becoming a cultural issue as synthetic content proliferates. Introduced in 2019, the icologram® protocol is presented as a way to record real artists, historians and witnesses in three dimensions, helping pass on their gestures, expressions and know-how.
From observation in museums to situated encounters
In a museum, an exhibit and its label do not always convey the setting in which a practice took place. Volumetric capture and Gaussian Splatting can offer another form of mediation: a life-scale recording of a person that can be viewed from 360 degrees. This should not be equated with a generated avatar or treated as an automatic proof of authenticity; a rendering method does not certify content on its own. Its value lies instead in the possibility of documenting a human contribution and placing it within a visitor experience.
The Virtual Hall® experience with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (OSR) illustrates this direction. Its first public trials were in January 2025, and the public experience in Verbier took place in July 2026. Those dates relate to the projects mentioned, not to this article’s publication date of 4 August 2026.
Learning by observing from several perspectives
In education, a captured presence can complement teaching and flat video without replacing the teacher. Philippe Entremont provides an example: a student might study playing, posture and finger placement from several viewpoints through an AR headset or a phone. His capture in La Chaux-de-Fonds took place in mid-November 2019; the example is not a promise of general availability. The aim is to bring theoretical knowledge closer to practical observation through a format that remains centred on a real person.
An ecosystem described in stages
The article links this approach to three components: icologram® for capture, icolocard® as a secure access key, and icolocoin® as a proposed value mechanism for creators and institutions. The overview of icologram®, icolocard® and icolocoin® brands provides context for these names, while the verification and sustainable-economy functions described in the source should be understood as design aims, rather than guarantees.
A roadmap, not general availability
For 2027 and beyond, the text sets out an ambition to expand partnerships with cultural, educational and technology institutions. The vision is of heritage that is less flat, more immersive and more human. It remains separate from the experiences already mentioned and does not establish an adopted standard for museums or schools. The agency’s AR and VR approaches offer complementary context for that trajectory.
Editorial adaptation of the article by Pierluigi Christophe Orunesu, originally published on Substack on 4 August 2026. Read the original article on Substack