Museums & Audiovisual Technology meet at ISE Barcelona 2025

The intersection of culture and audiovisual technology was on full display at ISE Barcelona 2025, where leading museums showcased how digitalization is transforming visitor experiences. Representatives from the Belvedere Museum Vienna, the Contemporary Art Museum of Barcelona (MACBA), and Layers of Reality shared their insights on how new technologies like AI, immersive experiences, and extended reality are shaping the future of museums.

“Barcelona is a reference for innovation applied to museums. The city is always looking ahead, open to experimentation and creativity”

Carla Ventosa, Director of Communications & Audiences at MACBA

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The Power of AI and Digitalization in Museums

"We see in museums a lot of new technology, a lot of digitalization in the past years, and AI will shape the future even more", said Markus Wiesenhofer, Deputy Director of Communications & Marketing at the Belvedere Museum Vienna. "We are using augmented reality, VR, blockchain technology, and even developing our own games to enhance learning and engage younger, global audiences".

At ISE Barcelona, the Belvedere Museum participated in the Open Innovation Challenge organized by Catalonia Trade & Investment, aiming to find a solution provider to develop an AI-powered digital companion for personalized, translated interactions for visitors. "Ideally, every visitor to our museum will have a digital companion to make their experience even more immersive and engaging", Wiesenhofer added.

Immersive Experiences and the Future of Museums

Museums are rapidly evolving beyond static exhibitions to embrace dynamic, interactive storytelling. Mar Consul, Executive Director of Global B2B at Layers of Reality, highlighted how digital content is redefining audience engagement: "Immersive experiences are evolving fast because digital is the language of new audiences. Traditional museums are also beginning to embrace these technologies, not as an end goal but as a tool to create awareness and connect with visitors in new ways".

Layers of Reality, a Barcelona-based immersive content studio, has been approached by museums worldwide to integrate extended reality into their exhibitions. "We've had discussions with institutions from the UK, Mexico, and Spain to implement immersive technologies into their spaces, each with unique requirements and goals", Consul explained.

Art as an Experience: Engaging the Audience

For MACBA, audience interaction is at the core of its digital transformation. Carla Ventosa, Director of Communications & Audiences at MACBA, emphasized the shift in the role of museums: "Art is now an experience. Artists are thinking of the audience as active participants rather than passive spectators. Everything happening in a museum today is about engagement and interactivity".

MACBA continues to explore new ways to integrate technology into its exhibitions, ensuring that visitors are not just observers but key contributors to the artistic experience.

Barcelona: A Hub for Cultural and Technological Innovation

Beyond the individual museum initiatives, ISE Barcelona is proving to be a catalyst for innovation in the cultural sector. "Barcelona really connects rich cultural heritage with modern ambition and digital innovation", Wiesenhofer noted. Consul echoed this sentiment, stating, "ISE is a great platform for the local industry and international companies to collaborate, create synergies, and showcase innovations".

For Carla Ventosa, the city of Barcelona is a reference for innovation applied to museums: "The city is always looking ahead, open to experimentation and creativity".

Get ready to participate in an Open Innovation Challenge

Through our Open Innovation Challenge service, we connect corporations worldwide with innovative startups from Barcelona-Catalonia. At major congresses in Barcelona, such as ISE and Mobile World Congress, the Open Innovation Challenge serves as a dedicated meeting point for in-person connections and partnership opportunities.

Learn more about the Open Innovation Challenge service!