Museum open to all
At MAR, art is an experience to be shared and enjoyed together. This is why the museum strives to make its collections, exhibitions and activities increasingly accessible, welcoming people with different needs, experiences and ways of engaging with the art.
Accessibility is an integral part of the museum’s offering and is reflected in tools, materials and activities designed to promote independence, participation and the opportunity to engage with the artworks through different means of expression. Communication and wayfinding are supported by information panels and dedicated signage; tactile maps, a wheelchair and, on request, staff trained in accessibility issues are also available.
Particular attention is paid to enabling visitors to experience the artworks through touch. The MAR features bas-reliefs, supports created using the Minolta technique for tactile reading, and a number of mosaic reproductions that allow visitors to directly experience the mosaic surfaces. These include Marc Chagall’s *Le coq bleu* and Georges Mathieu’s *Homage to Odoacer*.
Inclusive experiences also include workshops and tactile tours, with educational materials designed for blind and partially sighted people, as well as activities aimed at people with hearing and mobility impairments. Audio guides can include subtitles, Italian Sign Language (LIS) and audio descriptions, offering different ways to discover and explore the artworks.
Special glasses, designed specifically for people with colour blindness, are also available free of charge at the museum ticket office.
MAR also promotes educational activities, workshops, talks and initiatives aimed at diverse audiences, including people from different cultural backgrounds. The aim is to build a museum capable of embracing differences and transforming them into an opportunity for encounter and understanding.
MAR in valigia
The idea of an accessible museum does not stop at its exhibition galleries. With ‘MAR in valigia’, made possible thanks to the support of the Lions Club Ravenna Romagna-Padusa, the museum brings the art experience directly to locations across the local area, reaching out to people who find it more difficult to visit the museum.
The project began by involving residents of care homes run by the Municipality of Ravenna, and will subsequently be extended to other local organisations such as local libraries and schools. Through images, objects, materials, scents, music, stories and hands-on activities, the ‘suitcase’ brings with it a selection of items from MAR’s collections and exhibitions, creating a journey through art and history without having to leave where you are.
The experience is developed in collaboration with museum staff and staff from the participating organisations, and emphasises multisensory engagement, hands-on activities, storytelling and sharing. The activities encourage participants to express themselves, imagine, reminisce and create, using simple, natural materials and through the pleasure of taking time to observe and experience.
The project stems from the belief that art can contribute to well-being and quality of life through encounter, connection and the opportunity to engage with the art. Not as a therapeutic tool, but as an opportunity to be together, express oneself, learn and discover.
Both within the museum and in the local area, the aim is the same: to make art an accessible, meaningful and shared experience for everyone.