A visitor at the "Notre-Dame de Paris, the Augmented Exhibition: 850 Years of History and Resilience at Your Fingertips" uses a tablet device to experience the AR exhibition during a press conference at the National Palace Museum of Korea in central Seoul, Monday, a day before its public opening. Yonhap

This summer, a cutting-edge augmented reality (AR) exhibition is bringing the famous yet fire-damaged Notre-Dame de Paris to life in Seoul.

Titled "Notre-Dame de Paris, the Augmented Exhibition: 850 Years of History and Resilience at Your Fingertips," the touring exhibition celebrating the highly anticipated December reopening of the French landmark, which suffered extensive damage in a 2019 fire, will be held at the National Palace Museum of Korea (NPMK) in central Seoul from Tuesday to Sept. 1.

The free exhibition, with the help of Samsung Galaxy tablets, will transport visitors through time and space, showcasing the cathedral's rich heritage spanning over 850 years, from its cornerstone laying in 1163 to the ongoing restoration efforts following the 2019 fire.

Bruno de Sa Moreira, CEO and co-founder of Histovery, the French tech startup that curated and produced the AR exhibition, said, "Seoul is special," highlighting the Korean capital's significance on the exhibition's world tour.

"(What) we celebrate here together is a worldwide heritage that has no frontier. So we feel a very special connection to be here to share 1,000 years of history," he said at a press conference at the museum in central Seoul, Monday.

"Thanks to the generous donations all over the world, including from Korea, it was possible to rebuild the cathedral," he said, recognizing Korea's contribution to the five-year restoration effort for the French cultural heritage.

According to the NPMK, Histovery proposed Seoul as a stop on the exhibition's world tour last July, making it the second Asian city after Shanghai to host the exhibition. The tour has already traveled 12 cities around the world, including Washington, Montreal and Dubai, attracting around 500,000 visitors.

Bruno de Sa Moreira, CEO and co-founder of Histovery, the French tech startup that curated and produced the AR exhibition "Notre-Dame de Paris, the Augmented Exhibition: 850 Years of History and Resilience at Your Fingertips," demonstrates how to use a tablet to view the exhibition during a press conference at National Palace Museum of Korea in central Seoul, Monday, a day before its public opening. Korea Times photo by Park Jin-hai

Visitors can use tablets to scan 21 time portals and journey through key historical moments of Notre-Dame, as if playing a video game. The tour starts at the 2019 fire scene and makes stops at key moments, such as the construction of the Gothic choir stalls and the coronation of Napoleon I, where visitors can encounter the main historical figures involved.

"The position of the firemen, trucks, the direction of the wind, everything is documented, and everything is (based on) reality," de Sa Moreira explained, demonstrating how to use the tablets at the fire scene that shows timeline.

The exhibition space is designed to enhance visitor immersion, featuring large photo panels, 3D models and even life-size chimera statues alongside a carpet replicating the cathedral floor, stained glass-style windows and ambient sounds of organ and bells.

Jeong Yong-jae, the director of NPMK, said the AR exhibit is in line with the museum's commitment to "promote royal cultural heritage in Korea and abroad."

"This exhibition aims to highlight the history of Notre-Dame de Paris — a cultural heritage site significant in both France and globally — and to reflect on the meaning and value of our shared cultural heritage," Jeong said.

The museum, along with the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, will co-host an international academic conference themed "Restoration of Damaged Cultural Heritage around the World and Related Challenges" on July 10. The conference will bring together experts to discuss the restoration of cultural heritage sites that have suffered significant damage, such as Sungnyemun Gate in Korea, Notre-Dame de Paris and Shurijo Castle in Okinawa, Japan.