On 1 April, CARADT organised a co-creation workshop at Avans University of Applied Sciences as part of the KIEM MV project Inclusive Technology for Museums: Sensory Substitution and Augmentation for Inclusive Exhibitions. The session brought together researchers, design partners and museum professionals to explore how technology can contribute to more inclusive museum experiences.
The project is a collaboration between Rnul Interactive
, Dogger Concepts, Stedelijk Museum Breda, Museum de Fundatie and CARADT researchers Michel van Dartel, Eva Fotiadi and Alwin de Rooij. Together, they are developing and testing experimental applications that use sensory augmentation and substitution to improve exhibition experiences for visitors with diverse sensory abilities.
During the workshop, the design partners presented innovative multisensory tools developed in previous and ongoing projects. Museum partners shared their programmes, spaces and ambitions for accessibility and visitor engagement. This first exchange created a valuable starting point for identifying concrete needs, opportunities and challenges within both museum contexts.
Working in small groups, participants translated these insights into initial concepts and scenarios for situated interventions together with exhibition visitors. These ideas will inform the next phase of the project, in which concepts are further developed and tested in real museum environments.
Later in 2026, in-situ visits and pilot interventions will take place at Stedelijk Museum Breda and Museum de Fundatie.
Through this collaboration, CARADT continues to connect research, design and practice to create more inclusive cultural experiences.
‘Could experimental sensory translation of art works improve their accessibility for sensory diverse exhibition audiences?’
Eva Fotiadi is a researcher within the Situated Art, Design and Technology research group and a theory tutor at the St Joost School of Art and Design, where she is also a member of the Diversity Dialogues platform
‘People are the product of their relationships with their environment. It’s important to understand how technological developments influence these relationships.’
Michel van Dartel is Research Professor Situated Art, Design and Technology at the Avans Centre of Applied Research for Art, Design and Technology (CARADT) and was affiliated with V2_Lab for the Unstable Media between 2005-2024. He holds an MSc in cognitive psychology and a PhD in artificial intelligence.
‘‘Understanding how creativity and imagination emerge from interactions with our environment will lead to improved innovation processes, tools and technologies.’’
Alwin de Rooij is Associate Professor in Situated Art, Design, and Technology at the Avans Centre of Applied Research for Art, Design and Technology (CARADT), and Assistant Professor in Creativity Research in the department of Communication and Cognition, Tilburg University.
Living in cities developed around data and acting within the inscrutable structure of our techno-society demands art and design that can help understand how we relate to these rapidly changing surroundings and to reflect on that relationship. The research group Situated Art, Design and Technology responds to this exigency by fostering a situated turn in art and design through a diverse portfolio of interdisciplinary research projects in partnership with academic and cultural partners, as well as with government and industry.
Read more
Thank you for your subscription! Please check your email inbox to confirm.