Restore Your Damaged Painting in Hours with AI-Generated Solutions | MIT News

Art restoration traditionally requires meticulous handwork, often taking weeks to years to address thousands of damage areas on a painting. Recent advancements in digital restoration techniques have allowed quick virtual reconstructions, but a new method developed by MIT graduate student Alex Kachkine enables direct application of these digital restorations onto original artworks. His technique uses a thin polymer film to create a removable mask that aligns with and adheres to the painting’s surface, preserving the history of alterations for future conservators. Demonstrated on a 15th-century painting, Kachkine’s method identified over 5,600 regions needing repair and filled them using 57,314 colors, completing the task in just 3.5 hours, significantly faster than traditional methods. He emphasizes the importance of ethical considerations and conservators’ involvement to maintain the integrity of an artist’s original intent. This innovative approach could revive numerous damaged works long kept in storage, promoting greater accessibility to art.

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