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Arts & Communication Digital reconstitution of lost heritage

as a transformative force, enabling the recreation of for understanding the auditory experiences of ancient
historical artworks with unprecedented accuracy and cultures. This interdisciplinary domain integrates
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depth. Among these technologies, past examples such techniques from acoustics, archeology, anthropology,
as diffusion-simulated connectivity have proved useful, and musicology, employing modern empirical tools to
offering sophisticated capabilities for the generation of reconstruct historical soundscapes. Researchers in this
artworks that closely mimic the styles of renowned artists. field utilize a variety of acoustic methods – ranging from
This method, as detailed in recent studies, leverages deep measurements and characterizations to simulations – to
learning algorithms to analyze and replicate the nuanced explore archeological sites, particularly those featuring
esthetic characteristics of existing artworks, facilitating rock art, and to comprehend how sound functioned within
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the training of AI models on bespoke datasets. The these specific landscapes. 54
potential of such generative AI solutions extends beyond The application of archeoacoustics principles within the
mere replication, promising to unlock new insights into framework of our study serves as a foundational inspiration,
historical art styles and techniques, thereby enhancing the guiding our approach to the digital reconstruction of the
fidelity of digital reconstructions. Paris Art Salon. While our research primarily focuses on
the visual aspects of cultural heritage, the methodologies
3. Methodology
derived from archeoacoustics have significantly influenced
The Academic Salon, intimately linked with the Royal our strategy for recreating the Salon’s ambiance.
Academy of Paris, played a critical role in shaping French Archeoacoustics, as outlined by Debertolis and Gullà,
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art from the 17 through the 19 centuries. The state offer a comprehensive framework for understanding the
th
th
significantly influenced the visual arts, particularly in oil sonic dynamics of site-specific environments, providing
painting, through its selection of academy members and insights into how ancient spaces were experienced
financial support for artists trained at the Royal Academy. audibly. This understanding of spatial acoustics and the
This influence propelled French art to a prominence that psychological impact of sound on inhabitants and visitors
often eclipsed artistic developments in other European of historical sites has been pivotal in shaping our approach
nations. The Salon functioned as a crucial platform to reconstructing not only the visual but also the sensory
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for artists, where their careers could be charted by their atmosphere of the Salon.
success or rejection in these exhibitions. Furthermore, Drawing from the principles of psychoacoustics, which
the Salon was integral to the evolution of art criticism, delve into the psychological and physiological responses
with Enlightenment thinkers actively engaging with and to sound, our methodology incorporates considerations
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debating the technical and moral qualities of the exhibited of how sound would have interacted with the architectural
works. 52 elements and artworks of the Salon. Though our project

Acknowledging the central role of the Salon in shaping does not engage directly with the creation or simulation of
the French artistic milieu across the early modern and historical sounds, the insights gained from archeoacoustics
modern periods, a specialized team of researchers has research inform our reconstruction of the Salon’s ambiance,
embarked on recreating the Salon exhibition environment ensuring a holistic representation that extends beyond the
in a digital format. While individual artworks by artists visual to encapsulate the experiential essence of the space.
provide insights into their stylistic and thematic evolution, The methodology of archeoacoustics provides a template
and many key works from Salon periods are preserved at for the proposed research in employing generative AI to
the Louvre, a complete collection of works from a specific reconstruct lost or damaged elements of cultural heritage.
Salon remains a daunting task. Nonetheless, digital Building on the interdisciplinary framework established
technology offers a promising avenue. By interacting with in archeoacoustics, the proposed research extends this
a digitally reconstructed Salon, scholars and students can approach to visual elements of cultural heritage. The
gain a deeper appreciation of the historical shifts in artistic methodology involves employing generative AI to recreate
values, styles, and themes. This study serves as a test case lost or severely damaged artworks and architectural
for reconstituting works that are lost or damaged using two elements. This process will be informed by historical
specific examples. At the same time, the methodology to research, empirical data, and cross-disciplinary insights,
do so is built on related disciplines. ensuring that the reconstructions are not only visually
The approach taken for the study builds on cross- accurate but also contextually and culturally relevant.
disciplinary research in other fields such as sound The first step in this methodology involves collecting
archeology. Recent advancements in the field of sound comprehensive datasets from the period under study.
archeology, or archeoacoustics, have opened new avenues These data include historical texts, paintings, engravings,

Volume 2 Issue 2 (2024) 5 doi: 10.36922/ac.2719