He was a painter, inventor, and scientist, but could Leonardo Da Vinci have imagined how his legacy would be experienced in a new immersive exhibit and a TV series?
Born out of wedlock to Italian notary Ser Piero and a “peasant” woman named Caterina in 1452, Leonardo became an apprentice to a Florentine painter and later in life served as a military architect, cartographer, sculptor, and mural painter for hire. The fact that he inspires such shows is a testament to his innovation back in Renaissance Italy. Although he died in 1519, his startling body of work continues to amaze, inspire and teach.
An upcoming TV series from master documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, “Leonardo Da Vinci,” will examine Da Vinci’s contributions to art, science, and technology, marking Burns’ first documentary about a non-American subject. Against a rich backdrop at a time of doubt, freethinking, war, and religious upheaval, Da Vinci’s achievements are explored through notebooks, accounts of his life, and interviews with scholars, artists, engineers, and inventors.
“No single person can speak to our collective effort to understand the world and ourselves,” said Ken Burns. “But Leonardo had a unique genius for inquiry, aided by his extraordinary skills as an artist and scientist, that helps us better understand the natural world that we are part of and to appreciate more fully what it means to be alive and human.”
The two-part, four-hour documentary will air on November 18 & 19 on PBS.
After appearances in Berlin and Amsterdam, the US debut of the acclaimed “Da Vinci – An Immersive Art Experience” opened on November 2 at South Florida PBS Studios in Boynton Beach.
The immersive exhibit allows visitors to chat with Mona Lisa – what is she smiling about? – view floor-to-ceiling projections of his art and drawings, use interactive technology and AI in a way that combines his art, science experiments, engineering designs, and inventive technology in over 50 of his iconic works, including The Madonna Litta, Virgin of the Rocks, The Baptism of Christ, The Vitruvian Man.
Considered an archetypal masterpiece, Mona Lisa has been described by The London Independent newspaper as “the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, [and] the most parodied work of art in the world.” Her mysterious, enigmatic expression, unusual composition, and atmospheric illusion all contribute to her charms.
The painting depicts the Italian noblewoman Lisa del Giocondo, painted in oil on a white poplar panel, not canvas, which may have contributed to its longevity. Leonardo did not give the painting to the Giocondo family. It was said to have been painted between 1503 and 1506, but he may have continued adding to it as late as 1517. King Francis I acquired the painting after Leonardo died in 1519, and the French Republic now owns it; it has been displayed at the Louvre behind glass in a roped-off area in Paris since 1797.
A personal favorite in the exhibit is his masterpiece Lady With an Ermine (1489-90), a portrait of Cecilia Gallerani, a young woman from the Milanese court who was said to be a favorite mistress of Ludovico Sforza, the married Duke of Milan. The duke, who was Da Vinci’s patron for 18 years, was nicknamed “the white ermine,” and the inclusion of the sleek furry animal is a nod to him.
Interactive flying machine projections let you direct his astounding flapping machine and follow its path into the sky.
“Da Vinci: An Immersive Art Experience is more than an exhibition; it is an invitation to engage with one of the greatest minds in human history. This is a chance for our community to witness the visionary Da Vinci up close, and we are thrilled to host its US debut,” said Dolores Fernandez Alonso, President and CEO of South Florida PBS.
Immersive projections transform paintings and notebooks into interactive displays that allow viewers to ask questions, get more information, and gain insight. Multimedia installations dive into Da Vinci’s genius in art, science, and engineering and show how Da Vinci’s innovations influence today’s technology.
Produced by Phoenix Immersive Ltd. with concept and design created by internationally acclaimed design studio flora&faunavisions GmbH, and music by UK DJ Sasha, there is an original script by screenwriter Dan Cadan, with fresh new insights into the Renaissance Master’s thought process.
The exhibit will be at PBS Studios, 3401 S. Congress Ave, Boynton Beach, from November 2 to April 2025. For more information, visit www.southfloridapbs.org/genius.