Greetings dear META-MUSEUM community,
We are writing to you from a milestone moment. META-MUSEUM has officially reached the halfway point of its implementation, and what a journey it has been. With all partners now deeply immersed in the activities that will define our core results, the energy across the consortium is palpable — we are no longer laying the groundwork, we are building what we set out to build. This sense of momentum was reflected in our first annual review, which the consortium passed with success, and in a productive meeting with the European Commission, whose reviewers engaged closely with our work and offered valuable feedback that only strengthens our confidence as we head into the second half. Our next General Assembly, taking place online this April, will be the moment to align, reflect, and prepare for what comes next: the pilots.
In this edition, you will find updates from across our work packages — from digital prototypes and laboratory experiments to virtual museum experiences in clinical settings and a new partnership with the MetaHeritage project. We are also proud to bring you the second issue of META-MUSEUM UNPACKED, our open-access article series— this time exploring educational modules and ethical questions in an accessible, thought-provoking way. And we share where you can find us across Europe’s conference circuit this spring and summer.
We hope you enjoy the read.
Discover Advancements Across META-MUSEUM
The past three months have seen the META-MUSEUM project move deeper into the heart of its research. The TransforMEANS Theory — exploring how cultural experiences build empathy, resilience, and confidence — is now being actively tested through pilot activities, with large-scale measurement campaigns this summer at partner museums in Italy, France, and Spain. Behind the scenes, a common data pre-processing framework has been implemented across the consortium, ensuring consistency across our neurophysiological, behavioural, and questionnaire-based datasets. At the UNI Jena, two digital prototypes using audio and extended reality (XR) have taken shape, opening new possibilities for immersive, emotionally resonant heritage experiences. In Amsterdam, our laboratory team has completed data collection from a study exploring how historical, contemporary, and AI-generated heritage images affect visitors’ emotions and bodies — with analysis now underway. Meanwhile, preparations are advancing to bring virtual museum visits to patients undergoing chemotherapy and haemodialysis, aiming to assess the well-being that may arise from the virtual viewing of cultural heritage. From prototype screens to hospital rooms, from ancient Egyptian papyri to XR headsets, META-MUSEUM is building the evidence base for a new relationship between people and cultural heritage. Read more about advancements across META-MUSEUM.
In Our Spotlight
We are excited to announce that META-MUSEUM has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MetaHeritage, a fellow EU funded EISMEA project working to advance digital transformation and interregional innovation in cultural heritage. This agreement formalises our collaboration around a shared goal: making cultural heritage research more visible, accessible, and impactful across Europe. Through cross-promotion, joint storytelling, and coordinated outreach, our two projects will combine networks and amplify each other’s voices — ensuring that the work we do reaches not only the research community, but also the broader public it is ultimately designed to serve. To find out more about MetaHeritage and this new partnership, click to read the Press Release. As a first step in this collaboration, MetaHeritage hosts a networking & matchmaking event focused on innovation for enterprises linked to major events and the Motor Valley ecosystem. Click to learn more and register.
META-MUSEUM On The Road Around Europe
It has been a busy season for META-MUSEUM beyond the lab. In February, our Coordinator at POLITO took the floor at Horizon Europe Week 2026, sharing how our project weaves together museography, psychology, neuroscience, and computer science into a truly transdisciplinary approach to cultural heritage research. This April, POLITO and VILNIUS TECH are bringing the project directly to the public at Biennale Tecnologia in Turin — five days of live engagement and real-time emotional measurement with a wide and diverse audience, helping us refine our tools through direct human interaction. Looking ahead to June, our colleagues at NCK will represent META-MUSEUM at Det Museale in Norway, a national conference on the evolving relationship between museums and universities, while the teams at UNIROMA1 and Stichting VU will present our pilot data at ESCAN 2026, the European Society for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Meeting in Rome. The Stichting VU team will also participate in the Congress of the International Association of Empirical Aesthetics in May and the Mind Art Knowledge symposium in June. From policy forums to science festivals to academic conferences, META-MUSEUM continues to bring its research where the conversations are happening. If you are attending any of these events, we would love to see you — come and find us, say hello, and let us tell you more about what we are building. Read more.
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