St. Nicholas of Myra: Reconstruction of the Face between Canon and AI

This study is an ideal continuation of the one presented at REAACH-ID 2021. The results therein obtained are in fact the starting point for new evaluations and for the development of a protocol for the reconstruction of the missing parts in the Byzantine frescoes of St. Nicholas.The research in question aims to carry out, thanks to Artificial Intelligence, digital restorations useful both for the formal and symbolic analysis of Byzantine iconography and for its communication to a wide audience. Four phases describe the research strategy: 1) choice of the case study and the field of investigation; 2) identification of the formal parameters in the processing of the paintings: canon; 3) definition of the work-flow relating to the work of artificial intelligence; 4) application of the study to a specific case and analysis of the obtained results.

Saint Nicholas of Myra. Cataloguing, Identification, and Recognition Through AI

This research elaborates a strategy to guide users and scholars in the Byzantine iconographic world, highlighting the elements that contribute to recognizing the sacred figures represented [2]. It devel-ops two visual approaches: on the one hand, the recognition of faces through a database; on the other hand, the use of artificial intelligence for face recognition. The results of the research can be applied to the development of content for new media edutainment; for the digital restoration of the frescoes; for the communication and enhancement of the asset itself.