AI shows true colors of iconic artwork
Ancient masterpiece restored for a modern-day audience, report Wang Qian and Zhu Xingxin in Yuncheng, Shanxi.
Measuring 97 meters long and 4.4 meters high, Chaoyuan Tu features about 300 Taoist figures depicting a scene of congregation, which tells a story about Taoist etiquette.
In the mural, the eight main deity figures are as tall as 3 meters. The characters are arranged in four layers from front to back, with various poses including sitting, standing, bending, and facing forward or sideways, in an orderly manner.
"Chaoyuan Tu is considered the crown jewel among existing Yuan Dynasty mural art," Xi says. "The strokes and lines of these murals remain awe-inspiring, but sadly their colors have decayed over time. We don't have a chance to see these murals in their original, vivid colors."
But this situation was remedied when the Beijing Culture Pieces Development Co and US chip design company Advanced Micro Devices planned to cooperate on an AI restoration program for cultural heritage in 2019.
As a Yuncheng native, Cheng, 33, has been fascinated by the exquisite murals in Yongle Palace and, seeing the colors fading, she knew it was time to make her childhood dream come true. Cheng also stresses that human input will always be paramount in art.
