Science communication is not about throwing out facts like microwave instructions — it’s about sparking curiosity. Science, history, art… all of it can feel cold and distant if told without passion, or it can become a thrilling journey filled with romantic tales, palace intrigues, and power struggles.
A location-based VR journey that plunges visitors into a surreal museum where five iconic masterpieces come to life in a fully immersive experience.
Art Masters - VR Experience
Directed and produced by ACCIONA Cultura in collaboration with Museo Nacional del Prado, this VR experience reimagines five iconic works—layer by layer, meaning by meaning.
A passage through surreal spaces, hidden chambers, and living canvases inside the Museo del Prado.
Guided by the quiet watch of the guard, you cross from observer to participant, discovering the magic of the Museum like never before.
El Alma del Prado
The main challenge was to design a 30-minute Virtual Reality experience that would explore five masterpieces as distinct from one another as those by Goya, Veronese, Bosch, Rubens, and Velázquez—while at the same time constructing a narrative thread that would unite them in a coherent and emotionally powerful way.
The solution emerged from the very spirit of the museum and a figure deeply connected to it: the night guard. This is how our narrative thread was born. Carla Prat from Acciona Cultura envisioned the protagonist as an eccentric guard who has spent his entire life at the Prado and, on his final round before retirement, shares his favorite works with us as if introducing old friends.
This character is much more than a narrator: he is the soul of the museum. His intimate connection with the paintings allows us to enter them from an emotional, almost magical perspective.
We were inspired by “The Voices of the Prado”, a series of interviews with museum workers dating back to the 1960s, when the Prado was almost like a grand home inhabited by entire families. That human legacy motivated us to give voice to those who inhabit the museum from within—both physically and emotionally.
From there, we conceived the experience as a journey in which painting has the power to transport us through space and time. Is what we see real, or merely imagined?
The visit begins naturally, almost like a documentary: just another night at the museum. But gradually, realism begins to dissolve. The boundary between contemplation and dream fades, and the visitor is drawn into a hypnotic, intimate, and deeply immersive pictorial reverie.
Drawing is a way of exploring
To draw is to explore. We do not draw merely to show what we see, but to discover what we do not yet know.
In our creative process, drawing is the first stage of visual reflection. It is the space where we experiment, question, and uncover new formal and conceptual possibilities.
As the pencil moves across the paper, the mind enters into a dialogue with the hand, and through that interaction, ideas emerge that could not have been conceived in any other way.
Drawing is, ultimately, thinking through the gaze.
It takes light to create shadows
Outreach projects without a solid research foundation risk falling into clichés: repeated ideas, oversimplifications, and stereotypes that limit the depth of the message.
For us, research is essential to offer a fresh and authentic perspective on the subjects we explore.
Research gives depth and authenticity to the work, while creativity allows us to communicate science in an accessible and engaging way. When these two worlds come together, the result is outreach that not only informs, but also inspires and transforms.
When communication is done with care, it can make complexity accessible without losing its richness. If we want knowledge to captivate, we need to tell it for what it truly is: a grand adventure full of unexpected discoveries.
Tiny Room, Infinite Spaces
Virtual Reality has an astonishing power: it can turn a small room into a boundless universe. All it takes is a headset to transform a short walk into a journey through the jungle, outer space, or a city of the future.
Within a limited physical space, VR unfolds worlds that stretch beyond the visible, defying the logic of real space. It’s architecture without bricks, scenography without sets. The body barely moves, but the mind travels far.
Like any emerging technology, VR still has its limitations. However, there are endless ways to face and overcome those constraints. In this sense, our motto would be: dream first, then optimize. Dreaming first pushes the medium and stretches the imagination to find technical solutions that elevate our vision.
Digital creation — whether through real-time mappings, extended reality events, or 3D animation — always comes with limits. Facing those limits is like training at the gym: the more you struggle with them, the stronger you become.
Who’s Afraid of Jheronimus Bosch?
We don’t like to think of the great artists of history as untouchable gods or museum relics. Too much reverence leaves us with stiff, lifeless narratives. Do we want classical art to stay alive? Then we need to stop handling it with kid gloves.
Losing a bit of reverence doesn’t mean destroying their legacy — it means giving it life. If we place them on a pedestal that’s too high, we’re left staring up at them, too intimidated to play. And we believe art thrives on play, risk, and boldness.
The classics are still here because they still speak to us. To us, the best way to honor them is to use them as a springboard for something new, vibrant, and provocative.
The classics are still here because they still speak to us. So let’s speak to them — but in our own voice. Let’s dare to take them apart, mix them up, turn them on their heads. The best way to honor them isn’t by parroting them, but by using them as a springboard for something new, provocative, and vibrant.
Credits
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MAIN CREDITS
Directed & Produced By
Acciona Living and Culture
Original Idea
Acciona Living and Culture
Curatorial Advice
Museo Nacional del Prado
Creative Direction & CGI
Tigrelab
Music
Thomas Roussel / A440
Software Integration & Main character dev
Universe
Script
Acciona Living and Culture / Santiago Cardelùs
Voiceover EN
Idea Sonora / Brendan Price
TIGRELAB
Creative Direction
Federico Gonzalez
Mathieu Felix
Javier Pinto
Art Director
Marie Negretti
Project lead
Dan Garotte
Project Manager
Vanesa Palmeri
Illustration
Marie Negretti
3D Artist
Borja Pastori
Gerard Estalella
Julien Jousse
Sergi Balasch
Alberto Trujillo
Sergi Camprubi
Gerard Pasqual Gill
Francesco Mazzega
3D Junior Artist
Alex Puche
AI 2D Animation
George Holland
