AI Killed the Restoration Star? Reflection on Lacunae Fillings in the Era of Post-Photography and Artificial Intelligence

This paper aims to explore the feasibility of applying Brandi’s restoration theory in the current context: a society that is witnessing a new media revolution produced by the irruption of Artificial Intelligence. In this context, the relationship between lacunae and AI becomes intriguing, the latter of which plays an increasingly significant role in art, not only as a creative tool but also as a subject for critical reflection. In this society the Notre Dame fire is a poignant example of the rapid proliferation of ‘virtual restoration’ proposals, driven by architectural firms and social media, which leads us to reflect on society’s readiness to comprehend the distinctions between virtual images and the reality of physical restoration. If, as Brandi asserts in his first axiom, “only the material of a work of art is restored”, in the image era, can “digital restoration” through communication systems suffice for the completion of the potential oneness of the image?