Mixed Reality (MR), Virtual reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) headsets are technologies that let users interact with digital objects as if they were an integral part of the environment. They are rapidly revolutionizing learning, entertainment and accessibility in many industries. One of its most promising aspects is the creation of enhanced immersive experiences with great works of art.
Over the course of several events held in recent months, Haltadefinizione has developed innovative ways to showcase the masterpieces of the Image Bank using MR and VR headsets. With eye-tracking technology, gesture controls, and extraordinary visual quality, the latest headsets offer ways to experience art and culture that transform our perception.
The first experience presented was a VR tour of Giotto's frescoes in the Upper Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi, held during Fuorisalone in Milan. Visitors were virtually transported to the centre of the Assisi Basilica, where they could admire the frescoes depicting scenes from the Life of Saint Francis in great detail, providing a unique way to appreciate this masterpiece.
Following this, another virtual reality experience was showcased during Pitti Uomo in Florence. Here, visitors were virtually welcomed into the A.N.G.E.L.O. Archive in Lugo di Romagna, considered the temple of vintage fashion in Italy. They could immerse themselves fully in the evocative setting of the central former church, a beautiful historical location within the archive that houses footwear, hats, leather goods, bags, belts, and small accessories.
Finally, at the We Make Future digital innovation fair in Bologna, an app featuring a Mixed Reality experience of the Tomb of the Diver in Paestum was presented at the Ministry of Culture's stand. Haltadefinizione’s gigapixel and 3D digitisation of the five slabs enabled a virtual reconstruction of this masterpiece of Magna Graecia funerary art.
The three-dimensional model was integrated into the headset, allowing visitors to virtually place this work within the Bologna fair. They could zoom in on every single scene and enlarge the digitised artefact to sizes much larger than the original. This enabled them to step into the model, closely observing all the details of this work.
With the MR visor, we can study a work of art at full size or we can zoom in far past its real size. This is a unique and exciting new experience. We can explore the works from any point of view, focus on their details with a simple movement of the fingers and eyes, as well as compare works of different periods and styles.
This interactive quality opens new possibilities for learning about fine art, favoring a deeper understanding of the works. There are many possible applications for these new visors, such as virtual museum tours, the production of temporary exhibitions in digital spaces and the creation of engaging educational experiences that are available to a worldwide audience. 
Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality headsets open the way to a new era of accessibility and appreciation of the arts, combining tradition and innovation to bring the great works of the past into the future. These new experiences will redefine the way we interact with our cultural heritage, making it more accessible and interactive but also more fascinating than ever.
Haltadefinizione’s goal is to create immersive products for mixed reality visors that not only enhance the intrinsic beauty of the works but at the same time, deliver new ways to study and to appreciate our cultural heritage.
