Milan, October 13, 2026 – Making cultural heritage increasingly accessible means allowing more people to know it, explore it, and build a personal relationship with art. Today, the evolution of wearable technologies and artificial intelligence opens up new possibilities to make this experience even more inclusive.

It is from this ambition that “Sensing Art - Discovering Masterpieces Beyond What Meets the Eye” is born, a trial conceived and promoted by Meta, Pinacoteca di Brera, and EssilorLuxottica, in collaboration with Associazione Nazionale Subvedenti (ANS), Unione Italiana dei Ciechi e degli Ipovedenti (UICI), and Fondazione Istituto dei Ciechi di Milano, with the goal of testing new forms of cultural accessibility for blind and visually impaired people. A particularly relevant issue in Italy, where cultural heritage plays a central role and moderate or severe visual limitations affect 18.6% of the population¹.

Presented today in Milan, the project also received the institutional support of Alessandra Locatelli, Minister for Disabilities, who shared a video message highlighting the value of the initiative and its potential for further development: “The project developed at the Pinacoteca di Brera with Meta and EssilorLuxottica shows how new technologies and artificial intelligence can be put at the service of people and inclusion. A tool that can truly improve the quality of life of blind and visually impaired people, combining autonomy and independence in mobility with access to culture, which must be accessible and open to everyone. This is the real shift: reducing those barriers that can sometimes be physical, sometimes sensory, and sometimes cultural, and giving everyone the opportunity to pursue their passions. I hope this important trial can become a model to be replicated in many other museums and cultural venues, so that every person can truly feel fully included as a citizen”.

The initiative represents one of the first museum trials in the world using AI glasses developed by Meta and EssilorLuxottica within a visit experience dedicated to blind and visually impaired people. The technology integrates with the “Grande Brera” app, offering an alternative to the traditional way of experiencing the DescriVedendo tour, which for 10 years has helped visitors discover some of the museum's most significant artworks.

“Making heritage accessible means creating the conditions so that everyone can build their own relationship with art. DescriVedendo has for years represented an important part of our commitment, and today we can enrich it with an additional possibility, born from the encounter between cultural expertise, technology, and people's experience. The Pinacoteca continues to be a place of experimentation in which to explore new languages and tools capable of bringing a universal heritage closer to an ever-wider audience.” - Angelo Crespi, Director General at Grande Brera and Cenacolo Vinciano

The tour guides visitors to discover eight masterpieces from the collection, through three different pieces of content for each work developed according to the ANS DescriVedendo method: the morphological description, which translates shapes, composition, details, and visual features of the works into words; the historical-artistic overview; and the artist's biography, freely accessible according to each visitor's preferences. Already existing content is now enriched with a new access tool, continuing the path undertaken by the museum to make its heritage increasingly accessible.

A new way to experience art

With AI glasses, DescriVedendo's audio descriptions become accessible through a hands-free experience. Once standing in front of one of the eight works included in the tour, the visitor can activate artwork recognition from the glasses and listen directly to the corresponding audio descriptions from the speakers built into the temples, minimizing interaction with the smartphone and allowing, thanks to open-ear audio, full awareness of the surrounding environment while maintaining focus on the visit experience. The tour is completed by short orientation tracks between one work and the next and by the ability to customize content playback, fostering greater independence and a more natural interaction with visit companions.

“When innovation addresses real needs, it can create tangible value in people's lives. Technology reaches its greatest potential when it succeeds in making information and daily experiences more accessible, natural, and immediate - like with our AI glasses. It is through initiatives like this—born from an ongoing dialogue with people with disabilities — that we work toward a future with more opportunities for everyone.” - Maxine Williams, VP Accessibility at Meta

During the tour, visitors can also choose to utilize additional tools available through the AI glasses, based on their individual needs and preferences. The voice assistant Meta AI allows users to ask questions about the context and surrounding environment, while through integration with Be My Eyes, users can connect through the glasses with sighted volunteers and qualified operators to receive real-time support in orientation and practical task management, both during the tour and when traveling to the museum. The goal is therefore to give visitors greater freedom in how and when they explore the artworks, integrating technology and cultural content, specifically designed for a more personal visit experience.

“Having watched these devices come to life in our labs and manufacturing facilities, it is deeply rewarding to see the positive impact that smart glasses can have on people's lives, enriching the way they experience the world around them while building on the tradition of excellence, innovation and craftsmanship that has long defined our eyewear. Thanks to this initiative and the collaboration of all the partners involved, we are unlocking new opportunities to explore and experience art and culture, making them more accessible to blind and low vision people.”- Davide Schinetti, Chief Operating and R&D Officer at EssilorLuxottica

Accessibility is built together

The project was developed through phases of testing and consultation with associations and stakeholder organizations, directly involved in evaluating the experience and its usability methods.

“Visually impaired people - over 1 million in Italy and constantly increasing due to the aging population - have long benefited from content such as that offered by the DescriVedendo method, capable of evoking a coherent mental image of the exhibited works through meticulous morphological description. Being able to rely today on integration with new technologies further amplifies this service offering, in a spirit of true inclusivity.” - Rosa Garofalo, Director at Associazione Nazionale Subvedenti (ANS)

It is an open journey of dialogue and continuous improvement, designed to develop solutions increasingly aligned with diverse ways of experiencing cultural heritage.

“Being able to experience culture with greater autonomy means having more freedom of choice: in timing, methods, and the personal connection each individual builds with an artwork. This is why it is essential that blind and visually impaired people participate directly in developing the solutions that concern them. Bringing our experience into this project allowed us to contribute concrete needs, expectations, and feedback, turning dialogue into a driver of innovation.” - Rodolfo Masto, National Council Member of Unione Italiana dei Ciechi e degli Ipovedenti (UICI) and President of Fondazione Istituto dei Ciechi di Milano

“Nothing about us without us” is the motto that has guided the Pinacoteca di Brera for over ten years and that the partners shared in this trial, stemming from the principle that accessibility activities and projects must be developed with the direct involvement of the people for whom they are intended.

A first step toward new horizons

What was presented today represents a first step in exploring the potential of wearable technologies applied to cultural accessibility. Brera thus becomes a real-world setting to observe how innovation, cultural content, and community experience can contribute to expanding how people access information and experience artistic heritage. A path that is still at the beginning, but which is destined to evolve over time, driven by user feedback and ongoing collaboration among all partners involved.

A project open to the public

"Sensing Art - Discovering Masterpieces Beyond What Meets the Eye" stems from the meeting of culture, community, and innovation, aiming to pilot new ways to access artistic heritage for blind and visually impaired people.

Starting October 13, 2026, the tour will be available at the Pinacoteca di Brera upon reservation. Visitors will be able to use the AI glasses Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM by sending an email to educazione@pinacotecadibrera.org, specifying the date, time, and any specific requirements. For details and further information, please visit the page at this link.

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