INTERNATIONAL PROJECT
ART MASTERS: A Virtual Reality Experience Allows visitors to explore European heritage through the stories of five Spanish masterpieces in virtual reality
RIYADH, SEPTEMBER 09, 2025. ACCIONA Living & Culture, has designed and produced the virtual reality experience titled ART MASTERS: A Virtual Reality Experience, in collaboration with the Prado National Museum, for an international audience.
This exhibition invites visitors to interact with some of the most iconic works from the Prado Museum’s collection through virtual reality. Entering an imaginary museum, they are transported into five major masterpieces, exploring a universe where reality and dreamlike imagination merge — and uncovering the hidden secrets within these celebrated canvases.
Following its premiere at the prestigious NEXT IN Summit in Madrid last April, the experience is now on an international tour, with exhibitions currently taking place across Asia and Latin America in the coming months.
With growing interest in immersive cultural experiences across the Middle East — particularly in countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, where innovation and heritage go hand in hand — ART MASTERS could offer a unique opportunity for regional audiences to connect with European masterpieces in a profoundly modern and accessible format.
With a rigorous academic curatorship, the exhibition blends three-dimensional surroundings with an immersive narrative that brings the paintings and their characters to life, allowing a deeper connection with their symbolism and meaning.
During the visit, each viewer will enjoy the evocative beauty of The Sense of Sight (Jan Brueghel and Rubens, 1617) and Las Meninas (Velázquez, 1656) and will then plunge into the mythological drama of Venus and Adonis (Veronese, c. 1580). Next, they will be transported to the haunting atmosphere of El Aquelarre (Goya, 1820-23), which will take them to the Quinta del Sordo house, where the painter created his enigmatic Black Paintings. The experience will culminate in the surreal and symbolic world of The Garden of Earthly Delights (Bosch, 1490-1500), a work that captures the fascination and wonder of humanity.
The exhibition’s narrative thread is the story of a museum security guard on his last day of work, a fictitious character who guides the viewer through this virtual journey. Two physical spaces frame the virtual reality experience: an introduction to the Prado Museum and a final interactive area that reinforces the connection with the exhibition.
With academic direction by Alejandro Vergara, Head of Conservation of Flemish Painting and Northern Schools at the Prado, and using original museum materials, ART MASTERS the exhibition uses original material from the museum, guaranteeing maximum fidelity and quality in the representation of its valuable collection.
This initiative stands as a global benchmark at the intersection of digital innovation and cultural preservation.
As the Middle East continues to establish itself as a leading force in global art dialogue and immersive technologies — through pioneering institutions and platforms such as Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Diriyah Biennale.
