Milan's Museo del Novecento becomes more accessible: masterpieces told in LIS and tactile guided tours

The Museum of the Twentieth Century in Milan, in collaboration with Ad Artem, presents a new project dedicated toaccessibility: the production of six videos in LIS - Italian Sign Language - designed to enrich the Museum’s webapp and offer different ways of accessing content and artistic heritage. The project was created with the intention of expanding the possibilities of visiting the permanent collection, promoting a more autonomous and conscious experience. The initiative is particularly aimed at people with hearing disabilities and includes the simultaneous presence of LIS and subtitles. The videos, available directly through the Museum’s webapp, delve into six famous works in the collection: Unique Forms of Continuity in Space and Elasticity by Umberto Boccioni; Femme nue by Pablo Picasso; Neon Structure by Lucio Fontana; Artist’s Shit by Piero Manzoni; and Lullaby by Maurizio Cattelan. This selection allows one to traverse the Museum’s entire exhibition history, from Futurism to the early 1990s.

ITSOS Albe Steiner students also took part in the realization of the project, involved in the production and editing of the videos as part of a school-work training course. The activity represented an important educational opportunity for them, allowing them to confront issues related to museum education, accessibility and the creation of cultural content.

Parallel to the LIS video project, the Museo del Novecento, again in collaboration with Ad Artem, is also offering a new program of guided tours dedicated to people with visual and hearing disabilities, open, however, to visitors of all ages. In fact, from March to June 2026, Arte con-tatto activities and free guided tours in LIS will return. The Arte con-tatto tactile tours, scheduled every second Saturday of the month from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., allow visitors to explore the Museum’s collection through four free appointments, each dedicated to a specific section of the exhibition itinerary: Controversial Modernity; Fontana and Burri; Melotti and Manzoni; and Kounellis, Mattiacci, Cattelan. These tours are designed especially for blind and visually impaired people, but are also suitable for those who wish to approach works of art through alternative ways of getting to know them. In addition to the sculptures, which can be touched, relief drawings, tactile boards and audio aids will be made available; braille cards will also be available for some works. The tactile experience will be accompanied by an introduction to the historical context, art movements and works being visited.

Free guided tours in LIS, on the other hand, are held every first Thursday of the month at 7:30 p.m. from March through June. An LIS interpreter will be present during these meetings, so as to ensure that the Museum’s collection is also fully accessible to deaf people.

“The new LIS video project represents a very important step in the path that the Museo del Novecento is pursuing to make culture increasingly accessible and inclusive. Ensuring that everyone and everyone can enjoy the city’s artistic heritage, regardless of their condition, is a fundamental responsibility for cultural institutions,” said Culture Councillor Tommaso Sacchi.

Milan's Museo del Novecento becomes more accessible: masterpieces told in LIS and tactile guided tours

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