EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE IN USING VIRTUAL REALITY TO AID IN CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE ITEMS

Abstract

The introduction of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies has fundamentally transformed the methodology and ethics of cultural heritage conservation in European countries. While not as widespread as could be expected, both of them have proven practical usage examples. The goal for this paper therefore is to examine the critical role such immersive technologies play in the work of modern historians, restorers and art researchers. Of particular interest are the projects aimed at restoration of fine arts artifacts such as paintings, frescoes, and sculptures. For example, by creating high-fidelity digital copies, European institutions and initiatives utilize VR/AR for non-destructive analysis, pre-visualization of interventions, and collaborative decision-making, significantly reducing risk to irreplaceable originals. Our analysis draws on key papers highlighting how virtual restoration serves as a crucial planning phase of the project, allowing conservators to test hypotheses, simulate reintegration of broken or missing pieces, and virtually reassemble fragmented objects before any physical action is taken. Previous sources are augmented by several EU initiatives aimed at providing a common base for VR/AR use in research of European cultural heritage. In some cases we found, digital restoration may be the only option left for a successful completion of now ruined artifacts, be it frescoes, sculptures or entire parts of an architectural complex. The paper concludes that as of now the European approach to preservation, restoration and study of cultural artifacts demonstrates a slow but steady shift towards integrating digital tools as a standard practice, thus ensuring that conservation efforts are informed, reversible, and follow ethical standards of minimal needed intervention.