At the Museo del Prado in Madrid, a new exhibition allows viewers to do more than just observe classic works of art: for the first time, they can reach out and feel the paintings. Called Touching the Prado, the initiative was built around the idea of creating an experience for visually impaired visitors. “This project allows for the reality of the painting to be perceived in order to mentally recreate it as a whole and thus provide an emotional perception of the work,” the museum explains on their site.

To create the touchable works, Museo del Prado worked with creative studio Estudios Durero, who used a special technique they invented called “Didú,” a way of relief printing that translates digital images into textural pieces that can be touched. For the Prado exhibit, they recreated six works, including The Gioconda (The Mona Lisa), Apollo in the Forge of Vulcan by Velázquez, The Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest by El Greco and The Parasol by Goya.

“On this journey we have learned how important detail, volumes, textures, shapes are in composing a face, a mountain, a flower, a chair,” explains Ruben, a blind consultant on the project in the short documentary below.

Touching the Prado. Didú from Estudios Durero on Vimeo.

Image courtesy Museo del Prado

Vulcan’s Forge, Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez, Oil on canvas, 223 x 290 cm 1630 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado. Image via

Still life with Artichokes, Flowers and Glass Vessels Juan an der Hamen y León Oil on canva, 81 x 110 cm 1627 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado. Image via

The Parasol, Francisco de Goya, Oil on canvas, 105 x 152 cm 1777, Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado
Image via

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Touching the Prado will be on view until June 28, 2015.

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