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A VR experience inspired by five iconic artworks in the collection of the Prado National Museum of Spain has opened at Jiushi International Art Center in Shanghai.

Running until Oct 12, Art Masters: A Virtual Reality Experience is the fourth event of The Spanish Arts Festival on Shanghai's Bund, hosted by Jiushi Art Museum to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Spain.

Art Masters was produced by Acciona Living & Culture in collaboration with the Prado Museum in Madrid. Using cutting-edge technology, it creates an immersive environment for viewers to fully engage with the artworks through a combination of vivid visuals, soundscapes and storytelling.

The VR experience features five masterpieces: The Sense of Sight, jointly created by Jan Bruegel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens, Las Meninas by Diego Velazquez, Venus and Adonis by Paolo Veronese, El Aquelarre by Francisco Goya, and The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch.

Audiences can embark on a magical journey led by a virtual night-shift security guard, who guides them into some of the most beloved works in the museum's collection. Through the experience, viewers will "get to know the stories behind the paintings and even step into the minds of great artists such as Goya," said Wu Enlu, a spokesperson for Acciona Living & Culture in the Asia-Pacific region.

According to Jiang Kongkong, deputy general manager of Jiushi Cultural Communications Co, several historic buildings in close proximity — Nos 1, 18, and 27 on the Bund, along with No 230 Beijing Road East — have hosted the city’s first Spanish Arts Festival. The festival has included two exhibitions on legendary architect Antoni Gaudi, the first solo show in Shanghai by painter Jorge Rando, and now Art Masters: A Virtual Reality Experience.

"The festival has integrated art exhibitions with the city's landscape, and transformed static buildings into dynamic carriers of art... Visitors will be able to experience the historical and cultural heritage of the city while enjoying the exhibitions," she said.