From Mosaics to Pixels: Reinterpretation of Selected Zeugma Mosaics

Abstract

This paper presents a digital art project that uses contemporary computational techniques and algorithms to reimagine the rich legacy of Anatolian mosaics. The study creates a link between modern digital art and traditional craftsmanship by converting mosaic tiles into digital pixels. The aim is to recreate selected mosaics digitally by using other mosaic images as mosaic tiles. The algorithm that is used for the study works by dividing the canvas into a grid and choose suitable mosaic images for each grid in order to compose a selected mosaic as a whole on the Processing 4 environment. The selection of suitable mosaics for each grid depends on their brightness and color values. Several significant Zeugma mosaics from Gaziantep, Türkiye were successfully recreated by the algorithm, which was inspired by Daniel Shiffman's "Obama Mosaic" algorithm. This work has instructional value in teaching algorithmic art, artistic innovation and its usage in cultural preservation. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how digital craftsmanship may redefine and maintain traditional art forms in the digital age.