Leonardo Da Vinci is arguably the greatest genius of all time. He was an inventor, scientist, artist, musician and architect who was consummate in his passion and his achievements. He is the well-known artist behind the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper and the Vitruvian Man.
Da Vinci - The Genius is the only exhibition touring the world that offers the most comprehensive analysis and interaction with Leonardo da Vinci’s works. It has been in the most prestigious museums in 51 cities around the world and guess what? It’s finally here in the country! And you can experience it at The Mind Museum for a limited time only (September 1 to November 30)! Let me give you a sneak peek of what to expect at this hands-on, minds-on exhibition!
Da Vinci’s original works are too fragile to be moved from the museums where they are permanently housed. So the Da Vinci-The Genius exhibition was developed by Grande Exhibitions Australia. The exhibition was built by Italian artisans based on Da Vinci’s notebooks.
"Art is never finished, only abandoned." The exhibit features over 200 pieces of Leonardo da Vinci’s extraordinary works from paintings, war machines, flying machines, to his codices, leaving one inspired and in awe of what one human being can do with the power of his mind.
The Vitruvian Man—Leonardo illustrates the theories on proportion postulated by the Roman architect Vitruvius in the first century B.C. It demonstrates “the golden ratio,” or perfect proportion in relation to the human body.
Carro Armato (Tank)—Leonardo designed a huge offensive weapon: an armored vehicle capable of moving in any direction and bristling with cannons on all sides. One soldier sat in the turret to give directions. To move it, eight men inside the tank turned cranks attached to the trundle wheels which were in turn attached to the four large wheels.
Carro Falciante (Mowing Wagon)—One of my favorites in the exhibit! The Carro Falciante is one of Leonardo’s war machines. Driven by two horses, it has an enormous scythe-wheel in front and smaller evil-looking blades sticking out the sides of the back wheels. Pretty hardcore!
War created new mechanical and strategic challenges, and some of Leonardo’s most inventive activities focused on weapons of war.
Carro Coperto per I’ Assalto (Covered Cart for Attacking Fortifications)—Was this the Trojan Horse of Leonardo’s time? This huge wooded structure was for storming the walls of a castle or a fortress.
Tagliatrice a Ventaglio (Multi-Directional Gun Machine)—Leonardo wanted to increase the rate that weapons could be fired, so he designed machines with multiple cannons. These are perhaps the forerunner of the modern machine gun. This machine had cannons arranged in the shape of a fan. It could fire single shots or simultaneous rounds of fire. How badass!
He was also extremely interested in optics, in the effect of light, reflection, shadows and magnification, and believed that the eye was “the window of the soul” and the most important of the senses by which we experience the natural world.
Have you ever stood in a place between two parallel mirrors and seen how your reflection is repeated going away from you in both directions, becoming smaller each time? The first image reflects you at the size you are; a second image is reflected back from the other mirror and is smaller; and this pattern continues in fact until infinity. In an eight-sided room with eight flat mirrors as the walls, Leonardo noted that if a person stood inside, he “will be able to see every part (of himself) endless times”.
Ponte Salvatico (Emergency Bridge)—This bridge was designed to be erected quickly under battle conditions. Leonardo’s idea was that it could be constructed by a group of soldiers in an emergency, using small tree trunks found on the edge of a river.The trunks are interweaved and braced without use of ropes or nails in such a way that the more downward pressure is applied, the more the braced pieces of wood interlock and the more secure the construction is. Leonardo called it a bridge of “safety.”
Since we’re at The Mind Museum, everything here is hands-on! So I got to try to assemble the bridge using a smaller set of sticks.
Okay I give up. LOL. I’m not cutout to be one of the soldiers who gets to assemble the emergency bridge!
Scuba Diving Equipment – Earlier inventors had developed designs to help people breathe underwater. In Leonardo’s enhanced design, a watertight leather tunic is reinforced by armour to protect the air bag from being compressed in deep water. Flexible cane hoses, with leather joints reinforced by spirals of metal, drew in air from above the surface, and valves regulated the air intake. Leonardo thought this diving suit would enable men to repair the hulls of ships underwater, or in fact permit an army of men in SCUBA to march underwater to attack the hulls of enemy ships undetected.
Vite d’ Archimede (Archimedes’ Screw)—This machine for lifting water without excessive human effort was very well known in the ancient world. It was described in Egypt by the Greek mathematician Archimedes. Leonardo drew several versions of this machine, suggesting variations and improvements. The main improvement made by Leonardo resulted in more water being drawn up and with far less spillage.
Studio di Pesi o Tirare Composto (Weight Study Mechanism or Compound Hoist)—Leonardo drew and analysed this rope and pulley system. He noted that it was a safe way to lift heavy weights because it spread the load evenly. In contrast, toothed wheel and chain devices had a greater risk of breaking under the strain. Leonardo suggested that each pulley could life one unit of weight.
Studio di Volano (Flying Wheels)—The flywheel is a mechanical device for equalizing the speed of rotation. In Leonardo’s design, when the crank is turned fast enough, the four spheres will rise with centrifugal force until the chains are horizontal. Once the peak rotating speed is reached then the balls and the attached shaft spin at a constant speed. The flywheel conserves motion and reduces the effort needed to sustain it. This helps steady the rotation of the shaft when it undergoes fluctuating or intermittent pressure.
The dream of human flight was already in the minds of engineers and inventors in the 15th century. But Leonardo was the first to look at the science of flight.
Vite Aerea (Aerial Screw) – Children as far back as medieval times played with ‘whirligigs’, where blades on a central threaded shaft whirl around and move upwards. Leonardo probably drew on this idea for his concept of a rising screw. Four men on the central platform at the base pushed the bars in front of them to turn the shaft. As the linen-covered blades spun around, an upward push would be created. This machine, which would probably never have flown, has been identified as the ancestor of today’s helicopter.
Leonardo drew many images like the lungs, urinary tract, and sex organs. He was one of the first to draw the fetus in the intrauterine position as he wished to learn about the “miracle of pregnancy”. Not only was Leonardo interested in structure but also in function, making him an anatomist and physiologist at the same time.
Self-Propelled Car – This is one of Leonardo’s most famous technical drawings, because it has been considered to foreshadow the modern car. It was probably designed as a stage prop for a spectacular theatrical production at the court in Milan. The car could be set to move either in a straight line or following a curved path. When the cross-bow mechanism was released, energy was transmitted via springs to the gears linked to the wheel. The rear wheels had differential gears so that they could rotate independently. On stage, the driver-less car would move without anyone pushing it.
Bicicletta (Bicycle)—The discovery of this drawing among Leonardo’s papers had raised much controversy. It came to light during restoration work on the Codex Atlantico during the 1960s. Some scholars believe that it might have been drawn by one of Leonardo’s young pupils Salai, copying the great master’s original idea of drawing.
Citta Ideale (The Ideal City)—Leonardo drew ideas for a multilayered city, with houses above roads which were in turn above water. Leonardo drew wide streets placed at right-angles to each other, dwelling of several stories, and navigable canals to connect the city to the sea.
Automa del Humanoid (Humanoid Automaton)—It is thought Leonardo had drawn sketches of the world’s first robot shortly before he painted the Last Supper in 1495. Although it is not clear whether or not there was an attempt to actually build the device. Leonardo’s designs were thought to be of such great accuracy that in 1998, scientists at NASA looked at using his blueprints as a basis for its first humanoid robot to man the International Space Station.
You can also watch a special BBC Documentary on the life of Leonardo da Vinci– “The Man Who Wanted to Know Everything” (they show it every hour).
I thought it would be boring and lame. To my surprise, I spent 5 hours inside the exhibit just reading and being fascinated with Da Vinci’s works! With over 200 exhibit pieces, you’ll surely get lost! Makes you really inspired and think of what your purpose in this world is.
I would love to show you guys everything but you really have to see (and learn) it yourself! Take your friends or your family with you! Trust me, it’s worth it.
This once in a lifetime encounter with the greatest genius of all time is made possible by The Mind Museum, the Philippines’ first world-class science museum. Don’t you dare miss this traveling exhibition!
Da Vinci – The Genius is open on Tuesdays thru Sundays, 9am-6pm (extended until 9pm on Saturdays)—php200 for students and php250 for adults. For the all-day museum pass + The Da Vinci exhibit, it’s php950.
For more information on tickets and schedules, visit www.themindmuseum.org