Rome – Palazzo Merulana
At the conference “Rethinking Accessibility: Deaf People and Cultural Heritage: Experiences, Perspectives, and Critical Issues“, organized by ENS, the key concept was co-design.
Indeed, it was emphasized that deaf people not only benefit from museum services, but can also “produce” those services. Just as a trained and competent hearing person manages museum services, a trained and competent deaf person can also manage those services.
Indeed, by designing a museum service for a deaf audience, the deaf person is able to directly offer the most suitable offering to the deaf public. Through the co-design of the museum’s offerings by trained and competent hearing and deaf visitors, we can create an offering for all, engaging everyone in the shared enjoyment of the works on display.
At Palazzo Merulana, this co-design was realized with “Imaginaria,” a collection of immaterial art: thanks to an app, some of the exhibited works are brought to life through a digital art installation, where pictorial language is accompanied by poetic verbal commentary on the work and the performance of a signing actress.
Co-design also took place at the Galleria Borghese with the project “Stories of Cardinal Scipione and the Borghese House,” the result of the work of a group of five people, three of whom are deaf (one guide, two performers). Once a month, following a different itinerary, the tours are conducted with two guides, one hearing and one deaf, in both Italian and LIS, for both hearing and deaf audiences. Furthermore, the “Live Masterpieces” project was launched in January 2025, with tours conducted with two guides, one hearing and one deaf, in both Italian and LIS, but also featuring performances in Visual Vernacular (VV), a performance form that uses visual techniques, facial expressions, and body movement to construct iconic narratives. “Imaginaria,” “Stories of Cardinal Scipione and the Borghese House,” and “Masterpieces Live” are proof not only of the possibility but, above all, of the quality of the synergistic work of hearing and deaf people.
The images published in this section are the property of Galleria Borghese and are used exclusively for informational and documentary purposes related to the activities carried out.
