Science and technology are expanding access to culture. Damaged artifacts are digitally restored, and even art explanations are now assisted by robots.
[Report by Seo-in Lim]
The Joseon-era Pyeongsaengdo, an eight-panel folding screen once too damaged to fully recognize, can now be viewed in its digitally restored form online.
Since directly touching the original was not an option, experts reconstructed the original artwork through digital methods based on scholarly consultation.
Kim Ji-kio / CEO, TRIC (Technology Research Institute for Culture & Heritage)
“We matched even the weave of the silk exactly — restoring it stitch by stitch.”
Discolored and contaminated areas were also digitally returned to their original hues.
Yang Seung-mi / Curator, National Museum of Korea
“One strength of digital restoration is that it can be revisited and improved based on future discoveries.”
Meanwhile, at the Lee Kun-hee Collection exhibition hall, a guide robot is providing docent tours, explaining key works, and even responding to visitor voice commands:
“I’ll guide you to the artwork’s location.”
“Show me 'Autumn Festival.’”
With real-time 1:1 chat, the AI robot answers additional questions — a replacement for face-to-face tours that had been suspended due to the pandemic.
Eun-soo Lee / Officer, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
“We’re currently developing emotional, language-based responses so that the robot can even understand and reflect human sentiment.”
As digital technologies evolve, they are bridging the physical gaps in cultural spaces.
