“Unseen Art” Recreates Classical Art With 3D Printing for the Blind and Visually Impaired

“Imagine not knowing what Mona Lisa’s smile looks like” says the promotional video for Unseen Art, an Finnish open source project that is making classical art more accessible. The project is currently on Indiegogo, where they’re involving people all over the world by reaching out to 3D artists “to re-create classical art paintings in 3D so that they may be touched and felt, both in exhibitions and in people’s homes.” The 3D models of the paintings are open source, and printable “anywhere in the world where there’s access to a 3D printer.”

Currently, they have a touchable Mona Lisa face, which you can see Riikka Hänninen, who was born blind, feel for the first time. It’s a really creative project, and I’m looking forward to seeing what art pieces they’ll adapt next. I’m thinking Van Gogh’s famous self-portrait with a texture that replicates those broad brush strokes. What do you think about Unseen Art?

(via Laughing Squid)

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