Hermeneutic Applications of Distant Viewing

Distant viewing is a computational method that analyzes large quantities of cultural images to reveal patterns and connections between them. Applications of d istant viewing frequently occur in a context where technological criteria determine production processes and knowledge practices. Considering this, the thesis explores how distant viewing applications can incorporate fundamental principles of the humanities and art history. A brief history of hermeneutic approaches outlines the epistemological basis of hermeneutic theory, leading to the conceptual framework of digital hermeneutics. The study proceeded to examine the central concerns of the foundations of art history's historiography from a contemporary perspective, and to analyze digital methods that were inspired by them. The thesis addresses the limitations of information visualization in conveying the interpretive aspects of data and argues for modeling interpretation, an approach developed by Johanna Drucker incorporating a hermeneutic framework and humanistic interface design. Furthermore, image processing and computer vision technologies enable a variety of distant viewing analysis applications. Although the majority of these applications fail to interpret digital images beyond mathematics, applying them to current art historical debates can provide valuable insight. The potential of interpretational modeling with artificial intelligence is explored to address these challenges, as demonstrated by seminal projects that include scholarly annotations on artwork relationships. For hermeneutic applications of distant viewing, the establishment of user profiles promotes a humanistic work environment that is crucial for enabling diverse and transparent interpretations of artworks. Tags: distant viewing, digital hermeneutics, media visualization, computer vision, machine learning