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Arts & Communication Digital reconstitution of lost heritage

1. Introduction visualization and immersive experiences. The undertaking
here focusing on the 1785 Parisian Salon exemplifies the
Advancements in digital technology have revolutionized application of these methods, aiming to digitally resurrect
the field of cultural heritage preservation, introducing a significant pre-revolutionary art exhibition, complete
innovative approaches for the reconstruction of ancient with historically accurate figures and attire, grounded
cities through three-dimensional (3D) modeling and the in extensive archival research, and meticulous on-site
digital reimagining of interior architectural spaces. These measurements. More specifically, this study focuses on the
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can be viewed with a variety of hardware from desktops, reconstitution of lost or damaged paintings using the latest
smartphones, and various extended reality (XR) devices. AI technologies.
The latter encompasses various immersive technologies,
including virtual reality (VR) which immerses users in a The previous uses of 3D modeling software to elucidate
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digital environment, augmented reality (AR) which overlays historical contexts have met challenges. While there
digital information onto the real world, and mixed reality are various efforts to reconstruct and understand lost
(MR) which merges real and virtual worlds to produce new historical artifacts and events, the process is often
environments where physical and digital objects coexist limited by the available evidence and the potential for
and interact. The advent of virtual environments and multiple interpretations. One example of a significant
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preliminary forms of digital twins has provided scholars reconstruction effort is the Lost Cause narrative in post-
and the broader public with unparalleled means to examine Civil War American history, which has been the subject of
heritage sites and artifacts. Noteworthy, among these are analysis and critique. In addition, the Reconstruction Era
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3D scanning and photogrammetry technologies, which has been the focus of historical study and storytelling, with
have been instrumental in creating detailed representations ongoing debates about the scope and relevance of these
of art collections, notably the digital archiving of the efforts. 19
extensive sculpture collection of the Uffizi Galleries. These At the same time, AI has been used in various ways to
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digital replicas are valuable not only for academic research reconstitute or recreate historical artifacts or works of art.
but also as crucial tools for ongoing conservation efforts, One approach involves using AI to reconstruct ancient
aiding in the preservation, and preventing deterioration of ruins and urban structures based on minimal information.
these artifacts. 7,8 For example, the ROSETTA Initiative at Purdue University
While these technologies have represented initial steps is developing AI technologies to infer the prior structure
in incorporating digital tools in cultural heritage, the of sparse remnants of ancient urban settings, such as those
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evolution of generative artificial intelligence (AI) marks in Peru and Armenia. In addition, AI has been used to
a significant shift. This cutting-edge approach has shown restore missing pieces of artworks, such as the mutilated
remarkable potential in the swift reconstitution of damaged Rembrandt painting The Night Watch, where AI was used
or lost artworks. The integration of handheld scanning to reproduce missing tiles in the style of Rembrandt.
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devices with advanced rendering engines has rendered the Furthermore, AI has been applied to digitally read old
creation of high-fidelity digital artifacts both practical and documents and reconstruct historical records, as seen in
efficient. 10,11 Situated within this landscape of technological the Venice Time Machine project, which aims to digitize
progression, this research endeavors to explore the and reconstruct 1000 years of historical records from the
possibilities and limitations of combining generative AI Venetian state archives. As such, the potential of the
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tools with conventional restoration methods. The aim is technology in art restoration and reconstruction is vast, as it
to expand current methodologies while simultaneously can analyze and interpret damaged artworks, identify areas
fostering a critical conversation on the ethical and esthetic of deterioration, and reconstruct missing or deteriorated
implications of these combined restoration practices. parts of the artwork with remarkable accuracy. While AI
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In the realm of digital humanities, where digital has shown promise in these areas, there are also discussions
tools are employed to study arts, a critical aspect is the about the ethical dimensions and potential distortions or
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exploration of historical interiors, encompassing elements wrong interpretations of history that AI could introduce.
such as spatial configuration, object placement, acoustic Such methods inherently involve assumptions and
properties, and the impact of musical activities within uncertainties, especially when historical information is
specific settings. 12-14 These aspects have been rendered filtered through subjective perspectives. Diverse sources
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tangible and subject to analysis through state-of-the-art such as paintings, engravings, and textual descriptions
technologies like photogrammetric scanning and game each bear the unique viewpoints and interpretations
engine rendering. These tools not only provide precise of their creators. Compounding these efforts, many of
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spatial measurements but also enable high-definition the works selected for this study in the 1785 Salon have

Volume 2 Issue 2 (2024) 2 doi: 10.36922/ac.2719