Russian impressionism with subtitles and audio descriptions

Fans of art in general and impressionism in particular are lucky - the museum in Moscow, which preserves the works of prominent Russian artists for posterity, is very modern and just as prone to experimentation as the impressionist masters themselves. Artists use light, color and mood in improvisation, and the Museum of Russian Impressionism explores various ways of presentation. For example, for the deaf and hearing-impaired, the museum organizes creative art workshops based on current exhibitions with translation into Russian sign language. Tactile stations are developed for the blind and visually impaired, to convey a visual image with the help of sensations, smells and sounds.

Having temporarily ended up in a self-isolation mode, the museum did not stop receiving visitors, it simply moved its halls to virtual space. Now excursions and discussions are held in social networks, and you can get acquainted with the collection of paintings on the official website of the museum without leaving the room. Employees of the Education Department of the Museum of Russian Impressionism also use new multimedia tools that help people with special needs to know more about exhibits and artists.

One of these tools is adapted videos about exhibitions and events in the museum. The Museum’s YouTube channel has published video guides for exhibitions in Russian sign language with subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Currently guides to the last five exhibitions are available:

• David Burliuk. A word to me! 
• Nikolai Mescherin. Way Out of Fuss 
• A place under the sun. Benkov / Feshin 
• Impressionism and Spanish art
• Yuri Annenkov. The revolution behind the door
   

How to create video guides, explained Elena Sharova - the Education Department Curator of the Museum of Russian Impressionism. 

“Video guides are a complex and rather lengthy process. Initially, we take texts from the curator, intended for the audio guide, adapt them for the Russian sign language, then give them to the translator, who is already editing them together with the deaf guide, they make their corrections. But during the work I have already learned how to work with adaptation of texts and I understand what our colleagues need, so when I recorded the guide for the exhibition by Yuri Annenkov, there were almost no edits from the guide and translator. Then, after preparing the texts, the day of filming is selected. As a rule, it lasts from 6 to 8 hours, depending on the complexity of the material, the number of videos. We work with the same team of directors, cameramen, lighting artists and they know what and how we need to shoot, how, for example, to set the light so as not to harm the pictures from the exhibition. A guide working in the frame arrives at the site earlier than anyone in order to make makeup. Everything is like in a movie. Another feature - after editing, we impose captions that duplicate the Russian sign language, this is also not a quick process that requires extreme concentration and attention. As a result, it takes from 2 to 3 weeks to prepare one video guide”.

Also on YouTube collected records of events that took place in the museum with a translation into Russian sign language.

• Lecture by Semyon Ekstut "Picturesque Detective: the riddle of a lady in green"
• Public talk with Maria Rosa Zuloaga and Julia Petrova
• A novel in a museum. Nikita Efremov
• Art Night - 2018. Anton Sevidov VS Oleg Nesterov
• Night of Arts - 2018. Oleg Kulik VS Dmitry Aske
• Night of Arts - 2018. Gregory Sluzhitel VS Denis Dragunsky

Technologies are not yet capable of transmitting virtually tactile sensations; however, museum specialists have another tool at their disposal – audio descriptions, which help to describe the work of artists to blind and visually impaired people. One of the museum’s recent projects is “Russian Impressionism in Ten Pictures” - ten stories about paintings by Russian Impressionists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries with audio descriptions. They were voiced by actor Sergei Chonishvili.

“This audio descriptions have been downloaded to our free mobile application, which is adapted to work in the “universal access” mode both in iOS-based products and in Android gadgets,” said Elena Sharova. - And, being in the museum, you can turn on the “audio descriptions” mode, and your phone or tablet will automatically turn on audio recordings when you approach the paintings near which special “beacons”. As soon as the quarantine began, we decided to post these records in the public domain on the website, so that visitors who are not able to visit the museum now can at least virtually “walk” through our halls and immerse themselves in the history of Russian impressionism. ”

Until April 30, the Museum of Russian Impressionism is accessible online. All previously planned programs, including inclusive excursions and master classes, will certainly take place after the quarantine is completed. Now museum staff are working on adapting children's excursions. Interactive Zoom classes are planned for the near future for children with hearing impairments and special needs.

Those who wish to support the work of the museum can now buy a ticket with an open date for future exhibitions, it will be valid any day from the date of the quarantine termination to the end of the year.

Follow the news of the Museum in Facebook and on the official website.