AR exhibition allows Chinese audiences to visit Notre-Dame de Paris

SHANGHAI, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- A "digital twin" version of Notre-Dame de Paris has made an appearance on the Bund in Shanghai, part of an augmented reality exhibition that has recently opened to Chinese audiences free of charge, boosting Sino-French cultural exchanges further.

The historic site Notre-Dame de Paris has been brought to life with the help of augmented reality (AR) and 3D technologies.

The exhibition, "Notre-Dame de Paris - the Augmented Exhibition," was produced by the French company Histovery, in collaboration with the public institution responsible for the conservation and restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris, which was closed after a dramatic fire in 2019.

To experience Notre-Dame in a visual way, viewers are provided with a tablet PC, which they can use to scan a "Time Portal," similar to a QR code, in front of a cluster of prints, pictures and three-dimensional models in each section.

Visitors can explore 21 major historical moments and architectural process and construction details, and they can repair scenes in 11 interactive modes, including video interpretation, panoramic viewing, and interactive games.

These interactive features help people understand the history and processes behind Notre-Dame. They can also explore the ongoing repair site in Paris.

We try to bring more interactive experiences to museums and historical places around the world, said Morgan Fourdrigniez, China representative of Histovery, adding that the exhibition was developed over two years to ensure the tablet PC, the HistoPad, accurately reflect the historical appearance of Notre-Dame.

Fourdrigniez said the development process engaged a scientific committee made up of eight experts in art history, history, and other fields.

Being a vivid example of how cutting-edge technologies can rejuvenate historic sites, the exhibition is also seen as a window into the deepening cultural exchanges between China and France.

Notre-Dame de Paris is not only an important part of French cultural heritage, but also, in fact, a treasure of human civilization, Fourdrigniez said.

The exhibition was held in the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Germany, and other countries before coming to Asia, and is expected to move to Japan after its Shanghai stop.

Fourdrigniez said that Histovery is actively seeking opportunities to exhibit in other Chinese cities to promote cultural exchanges between China and France further.

As the traveling exhibition's first stop in Asia, the event in Shanghai has been made available to the public from Dec. 2, 2022 to Jan. 2, 2023, offering a journey through space and time that covers the 850-year history and rebirth of the monumental cathedral.