Grande Experiences, international producers who have displayed more than 250 immersive experiences around the world, are launching the tour of Leonardo da Vinci – 500 Years of Genius, a new production blending cutting-edge digital technology with tangible artefacts to engage visitors on multiple levels while providing deep insights into this timeless genius.
The experience incorporates innovative elements, shedding new light on the enduring appeal of Leonardo da Vinci, whose influence persists half a millennium after his passing. The team reimagines immersive storytelling, curating an experience beyond showcasing Leonardo’s renowned artworks. It delves deeper into the vast spectrum of his talents and interests, presenting a multifaceted portrayal of the Renaissance polymath and his multiple talents as an artist, inventor, engineer, and visionary.
Machines and original works
The experience was created in partnership with Museo Leonardo da Vinci in Rome. It presents a rare opportunity to display pages of Leonardo’s original notebook – the Codex Atlanticus, an unedited look inside the mind of the world’s greatest genius. Leonardo da Vinci’s most extensive existing collection of drawings and written notes is compiled of sketches and writings from 1478 to 1519, and it has been held in Milan’s Biblioteca Ambrosiana since 1637. Qualifying institutions and organisations will have the option to present visitors with the brilliance of Leonardo’s original manuscripts up close, providing a huge draw card for audiences.
Digital interpretations are interwoven with these original works as well as up to 50 machine inventions crafted by Italian artisans, providing a deeper understanding and appreciation of Da Vinci’s ideas and thoughts.
Visitors are not merely observers of Leonardo da Vinci's masterpieces; they are transported back in time through meticulously crafted machine inventions.
Multilayered storytelling
The core of the experience is a commitment to authenticity and connection. Visitors are not merely observers of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpieces; they are transported back in time through meticulously crafted machine inventions, witnessing the ingenuity that defined one of history’s greatest minds. Advanced audio-visual technology, including virtual reality simulations, add a contemporary layer to the immersive journey, allowing visitors to soar over Florence and experience Leonardo’s fascination with human flight.
The exhibition strategically places a digital immersive environment in the experience, ensuring that the visitor connects with Leonardo on an emotional level first. The creative team behind the exhibition wanted to reveal a more relatable side to the icon – portraying him as a flawed genius with a mind that never ceased probing and analysing. The experience becomes a bridge to understanding the complexities of Leonardo’s character, from his early concepts and ideas on a broad spectrum of STEAM principles to the deconstruction of the Mona Lisa.
This experience also pays homage to Leonardo’s contemporaries and the broader context of the Italian Renaissance. A curated selection of artworks takes visitors on a journey through the achievements of artists like Giotto, Titian, Raphael, and Michelangelo, culminating in a crescendo at the Sistine Chapel. The exhibition further enhances the emotional connection with visitors through a powerful Italian opera score.
While playing a pivotal role, technology is not used for its own sake. The Grande visitor experience team maintains a delicate balance, using technology to amplify the narrative rather than overshadow it. Interactive, tactile artefacts ensure the focus remains on the content and the compelling stories. For example, the VR Florence Flyover offers a modern twist to Leonardo’s fascination with flight.
Leonardo da Vinci’s evergreen appeal is explored in-depth, emphasising his influence on relevant areas today. Concepts and ideas conceived five centuries ago continue to shape modern science, technology, engineering, arts, and more. The experience showcases Leonardo da Vinci’s visionary status, portraying him as a global icon whose influence reaches across diverse realms of human endeavour.
This level of detail reveals the incredible history of the Mona Lisa's journey over the centuries.
Mona Lisa Revealed
Mona Lisa Revealed is a special segment presenting the work of Pascal Cotte, an esteemed French optical engineer and consultant to the Louvre Museum. Cotte’s groundbreaking work involves using a multispectral camera capable of scanning from ultraviolet to infrared. This innovative technology unveils previously undiscovered information by systematically peeling away the layers of the Mona Lisa, providing a unique and fascinating perspective on the iconic masterpiece.
Using this technology, Pascal has been able to recreate a 3D Mona Lisa allowing visitors to see the reverse of the poplar wood panel painting. This level of detail reveals the incredible history of the Mona Lisa’s journey over the centuries. Visitors will learn how it was in Napoleon’s bathroom at one point, placed in hiding during wars, and taken to the United States and Japan for display. The presentation provides a fascinating insight into the history of the world’s most iconic painting.
Flexibility and variety for international touring
Leonardo da Vinci – 500 Years of Genius’s premiere just opened at THE LUME Melbourne before embarking on a global tour. The new experience has a flexible, modular design, which Grande can reconfigure to emphasise different aspects according to the needs of a specific venue, with display options from 500 sqm and above. For example, a venue may want more focus on machine inventions, the Mona Lisa Revealed component or a more extensive immersive gallery.
Leonardo da Vinci spans an incredible number of subjects, ensuring every visitor finds something engaging regardless of age, background, or education level, and everyone will take home a different learning and memory. One significant revelation for visitors is that Leonardo’s influence extends far beyond his famous works like the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, with people often experiencing a “wow” moment upon discovering Leonardo’s involvement in a fantastic array of innovations.
As Leonardo da Vinci – 500 Years of Genius travels globally, its mission persists to engage diverse audiences, fostering conversations and inspiring curiosity, particularly in the younger generation. The most remarkable part of this experience lies in its ability to transcend time and space, igniting the fascination with Leonardo’s genius in a contemporary context. It becomes a testament to the enduring power of human creativity and innovation, inviting audiences on a renewed journey of discovery through the fusion of art, science, and technology.
Exhibitions mentioned
Leonardo da Vinci – 500 Years of Genius, by Grande Experiences
