Institutional portal - Municipality of Milan

Milan, May 29 2019 – Open to the public from tomorrow 30 May to 22 September, in the Fabbrica del Vapore Cathedral, the “Leonardo da Vinci 3D” exhibition. The exhibition tells the story of the genius of Vinci, his life, his discoveries, his extraordinary works of art through the most revolutionary technology, including augmented reality and holograms.

Produced by Medartec and the Municipality of Milan, with the artistic production of the Florentine studio Art media studio, the exhibition is organized with the patronage of the Institute of High Performance Computing and Networks (ICAR) of the National Research Council (CNR) and in collaboration with Fratelli Alinari, the oldest photographic image archive in the world.

“Fabbrica del Vapore, reborn in recent years as a cultural aggregation space dedicated mainly to young people, is the ideal place to investigate the artist and scientist with a technological and multimedia language – comments the deputy mayor Anna Scavuzzo –, capable of restoring the genius of Leonardo and make us appreciate its extraordinary relevance, through an unprecedented and innovative look".

“Leonardo da Vinci 3D” was conceived as a journey lasting over 500 years and allows you to get to know the master of the Italian Renaissance 'live': it is in fact Leonardo himself, reproduced in a life-size holographic creation, who recounts the intuitions and the episodes that dot his work. Thanks to the Leonardo da Vinci 3D app - now downloadable - it is possible to interact with the works and its creator for a truly immersive experience: just frame Leonardo's creations or the exhibition logo to discover new content on Leonardo's universe.

The story arises from an unprecedented mix of languages, where tradition and innovation dialogue to make the public aware of the vastness and complexity of the world that revolves around the figure of Leonardo, whose entire universe is narrated by the exhibition itinerary: from the machines to the mirror room dedicated to flying, up to the large immersive room. The heart of the itinerary is the so-called 'impossible exhibition': a digital gallery that brings together - for the first time in a single space - Leonardo's most famous paintings reproduced in life size, from the Mona Lisa to the Virgin of the Rocks.

Among the virtual attractions also the maxi-pop-up book in augmented reality that interacts with the ingenious machines of war and flight, and the VR corner with related Oculus stations that allow you to virtually enter Leonardo's fascinating world. A dive into the colour, poses and details of his paintings, with the life-size representation of the Last Supper. The itinerary also includes a room dedicated to Milan where, thanks to the collaboration with Fratelli Alinari, period photos of the bombing of Santa Maria delle Grazie (home of the Last Supper) and its reconstruction are exhibited together with the documentation of the discovery of the Mona Lisa after the theft , the move to the Uffizi and the definitive relocation to the Louvre. In the center of the room there is also an original historical machine from the Alinari Brothers and some authentic copies of the da Vinci codes.

From 29 to 31 May, thanks to the extraordinary participation of the CNR's ICAR, two artificial intelligences (AI) called 'Al4Museum' will animate a robot and a holographic system respectively, involving visitors in a personalized in-depth analysis of the exhibition. Thanks to the holographic system and its own display, the robot will be able to show additional multimedia content, transporting the viewer into a virtual world where the works are enjoyed in touchless mode.

Finally, inside the exhibition there is a room dedicated to experiences for the little ones with the possibility of reliving Leonardo's artistic and engineering moments. Throughout the opening period, it is possible to book educational workshops to stimulate the creativity and ingenuity of young visitors.