Teresa Fallavollita
From early space experiments to the reconstruction of Notre-Dame Cathedral, the transformative potential of digital twins is becoming increasingly evident in the visual arts. Legal expert Silvia Stabile explores their applications and implications.
It was the 1960s, and the race for supremacy between the United States and the Soviet Union was not content with territorial or ideological dominance; it reached far beyond the Earth’s atmosphere in what became a full-blown space race. It was in this context that the prototype of a model, which would only decades later be named a “digital twin”, made its first appearance. At NASA, where plans for the first human Moon landing were underway, simulators were used for the first time to assess the consequences of a potential failure in the Apollo 13 oxygen tanks1.
NASA employed these systems to simulate possible scenarios, coupling digital components with the physical model of the spacecraft to ensure a continuous data exchange. More than 50 years have passed since then. The race to the Moon is over, and the Soviet Union no longer exists. Yet that model, now firmly established as the “digital twin”, has gradually spread and continues to represent one of the most intriguing prospects on the horizon, thanks to its vast range of applications.
What digital twins are
«A digital twin is a virtual representation of an object or system designed to accurately mirror a physical object», explains Silvia Stabile, a lawyer specialised in art and cultural heritage law with extensive experience in the creative industries in all their forms.
«A digital twin spans the object’s entire life cycle, is updated in real time with data, and uses simulation, machine learning and reasoning to assist with decision-making».
Silvia Stabile is a lawyer at TARGET law firm, specialising in art and cultural heritage law with over twenty years of consolidated experience across all sectors of the creative industries. She participates as an expert in various postgraduate programmes and master’s courses. She is the author of monographs and essays and lectures on intellectual property law, art law and fashion law in university-level postgraduate programmes. Co-founder of the Italian chapter of the Gallery Climate Coalition, she is also the author of “Il diritto e la fiscalità dei mercati internazionali dell’arte” (2024) and curator of the “ARTech Law” column for Inside Art magazine.
Find out moreGo to the law firm website
There are dozens of applications, not only in the scientific field from which the model originated, but also across a variety of sectors, starting with urban planning. One example is the construction industry, where digital twins have sparked a profound transformation. In digital architecture – an approach to architecture that incorporates digital technologies – digital twins support the work of civil engineers and architects. In urban planning projects, they enable the design and recreation of spaces in 3D or 4D in real time. That is, they can store data and feedback from citizens, cameras, buildings and other sources and use them to model urban areas. Other important applications include the automotive industry, where they enhance both product performance and production processes, and the field of energy production and storage. Today, it is even possible to create customised models for patients in the healthcare sector: here, digital twins can potentially be updated in real time with new data and health information.
The art twin
It was 15 April 2019 when Paris’s Notre-Dame Cathedral was ravaged by fire. A short circuit triggered the blaze and soon flames engulfed the structure. Part of the roof collapsed. The event made global headlines for days. Once the fire had been extinguished, attention turned to rebuilding. Given that the famous Gothic cathedral dates back to the 12th–13th centuries, detailed construction documentation was scarce. Rebuilding Notre-Dame was a formidable challenge – and digital twin technology played a key role. Thanks to the involvement of companies specialising in laser scanning and the digitisation of historical monuments, a highly detailed digital twin of the cathedral was created and made available to the reconstruction teams.
«This incident highlighted the importance of pre-existing digital scans, which proved vital in guiding the reconstruction of damaged sections», notes Stabile.
Unsurprisingly, the field where the innovative power of this technology is becoming most evident – and most disruptive – is visual art. Whether in the form of a single virtual counterpart to a physical artwork, or one of a limited series of digital copies, digital twins create an exchange of data and information with the corresponding physical object, either in real time or retrospectively. «This», Stabile explains, «is crucial for recording information about an artwork’s condition, its deterioration over time, restoration work, and any changes made to the artifact». Other key data recorded in real time concern the environmental conditions in which an artwork is displayed – such as light levels and humidity – allowing targeted attention to be directed towards the most vulnerable areas2 as a preventive measure. For example, in assessing the impact of earthquakes on cultural heritage, digital twins can, according to Stabile, «automate processes related to early threat detection, risk assessment, solution identification and impact evaluation».
«The digital replica is not conceived as a static object, but as one that can update itself to reflect changes to the physical asset», she continues.
«It is, in fact, far more than a mere copy of the original – it can operate independently on the traditional art market».
«Interactive interfaces are also becoming more widespread, enriching the experience through customisable guided tours. Digital twins are also being used to monitor and manage the security of artworks and museums, as well as to gather data for scientific research and restoration work».
The future of beauty
«For museums and cultural institutions, one of the most significant benefits of using artificial intelligence – and digital twins in particular – is the ability to “converge” knowledge and techniques from a variety of fields: archaeologists, historians, art critics, data analysts, conservators, ecologists, environmentalists and museum experts. These can potentially be brought together on a single platform, creating more meaningful synergies», says Stabile.
In some cases, interfaces developed for museums and installations go beyond simply presenting information: they can also tell stories, make choices and construct meanings. Some artistic practices are beginning to explore this more narrative and critical potential of digital twins. One example is Prelude to: When the Dust Unsettles (2022) by Femke Herregraven3, which presents two versions of the same lithium mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo: one designed to attract investors, the other to expose its environmental and geopolitical implications. In this work, the digital twin does not merely offer an immersive experience in the conventional sense – it also creates a tension between what is shown and what remains hidden, becoming an interface that is not only interactive but also political. A space where narrative, technology and responsibility intertwine.
The value of digital twins extends far beyond what the term might initially suggest. The intersection of seemingly unrelated disciplines produces a tool capable of embracing complexity and opening new perspectives. Art becomes more analytical and scientific, technology gains aesthetic and cultural sensitivity, and architecture becomes a tool not only for design but also for historical storytelling.
It remains essential, however, not to overlook the ethical implications that inevitably come with the development of such technologies. There is, for instance, the risk that digital twins could become the sole means by which the public accesses an artwork or building, thereby severing the connection with the “original”. Or that what is embedded within digital models could simplify, neutralise or obscure the historical, social or environmental complexities of the sites and works they represent.
The hope is that their use can be complemented by critical and ethical reflection, asking questions about memory and authenticity and our (constantly evolving) relationship with technology.
- Allen, B. D. (2021, November 3). Digital twins and living models at NASA. NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS). https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20210023699 ↩︎
- Ćosović, M., 1, Maksimović, M., 2, University of East Sarajevo, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, & University of East Sarajevo, Faculty of Electrical Engineering. (2022). Application of the digital twin concept in cultural heritage. In VIPERC2022: 1st International Virtual Conference on Visual Pattern Extraction and Recognition for Cultural Heritage Understanding. https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-3266/paper8.pdf ↩︎
- Find out more on Prelude to: When The Dust Unsettles: http://femkeherregraven.net/prelude-to-when-the-dust-unsettles/ ↩︎
