Meta, Brera Gallery, and EssilorLuxottica Pilot AI for Art Accessibility

Meta, Pinacoteca di Brera, and EssilorLuxottica have launched a collaborative initiative titled "Sensing Art - Discovering Masterpieces Beyond What Meets the Eye." This project aims to improve access to art for blind and visually impaired individuals at Milan's Brera Art Gallery through the integration of technology.

The trial, which began on October 13, 2026, incorporates AI glasses developed by Meta into the gallery's "Grande Brera" app. This technology builds upon the museum's existing DescriVedendo method tours, designed for visually impaired visitors, offering a more autonomous and immersive art experience via audio descriptions.

Focusing on eight masterpieces within the collection, the AI glasses recognize artworks and deliver corresponding audio descriptions, based on the DescriVedendo method, directly through the glasses' integrated speakers. This hands-free approach allows visitors to engage with the art while remaining aware of their surroundings, thanks to open-ear audio.

The initiative seeks to broaden access to cultural heritage. Italy's Minister for Disabilities, Alessandra Locatelli, highlighted the project's potential as a tool to improve quality of life by combining independence with cultural access. The "Sensing Art" trial is intended to serve as a replicable model for other museums.