Louvre Deploys Augmented Reality to Restore Masterpieces

Why it matters

- The initiative, titled “The Incredible Unknowns of the Louvre,” is a collaboration with Snap Inc.'s Paris AR Studio. It expands on a previous partnership in 2023 called "Egypt Augmented," which focused on the museum's Egyptian antiquities collection. - Rather than focusing on famous works, the project highlights six lesser-known masterpieces, including the ancient Greek statue Kore of Samos, the Bust of Akhenaten, and the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi. - The technology shows reconstructions of how scholars believe the art originally appeared; for example, it digitally restores long-lost color and pigment to the Kore of Samos and adds faded tonal variations to the bust of Akhenaten. - Visitors activate the experience by scanning a QR code next to the artwork's label with their own smartphone, which overlays the digital restoration and contextual information onto their view of the physical object. - According to Gautier Verbeke, the Louvre's director of mediation and audience development, the project is aimed at a key demographic, as nearly 44% of the museum's visitors are under the age of 26. - This project follows other high-tech initiatives at the museum, including its first-ever virtual reality experience in 2019, "Mona Lisa: Beyond the Glass," created for its Leonardo da Vinci exhibition. - The partnership is part of a broader strategy by Snap Inc. to work with major cultural institutions; similar AR collaborations have been launched with the Palace of Versailles in France and the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi.

Key numbers

• It expands on a previous partnership in 2023 called "Egypt Augmented," which focused on the museum's Egyptian antiquities collection.
• According to Gautier Verbeke, the Louvre's director of mediation and audience development, the project is aimed at a key demographic, as nearly 44% of the museum's visitors are under the age of 26.
• This project follows other high-tech initiatives at the museum, including its first-ever virtual reality experience in 2019, "Mona Lisa: Beyond the Glass," created for its Leonardo da Vinci exhibition.

What happens next

• It expands on a previous partnership in 2023 called "Egypt Augmented," which focused on the museum's Egyptian antiquities collection.
• Visitors activate the experience by scanning a QR code next to the artwork's label with their own smartphone, which overlays the digital restoration and contextual information onto their view of the physical object.
• The initiative aims to make art more accessible and engaging for new generations, both in the museum and online.

Sources

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