New at the Museum

The Da Vinci Experience

Replicas and models of the mechanical devices designed and described by Leonardo da Vinci, along with reproductions of 12 of his most famous paintings, are now featured in a new exhibition at the San Diego Air & Space Museum.

Sought after and appreciated as an artist at court, da Vinci was also concerned with scientific subjects, applying his knowledge of mechanics to military and civil engineering works and dedicating himself to the study of anatomy, biology, mathematics and physics. A group of Florentine artisans have spent the last half century studying the original notes and drawings of da Vinci's various projects, and have created this international exhibition of fully-functional and interactive models of da Vinci's creations.

Godfrey Harris, Exhibition Curator, noted, "For all of Leonardo da Vinci's great achievements, he had his share of mistakes, failures, and disappointments. In driving himself to overcome a disadvantageous background, he successfully addressed a number of issues that he hoped would bring him recognition, status and wealth. I think we are fascinated by Leonardo because he seems to have been an ordinary man who was able to accomplish so many extraordinary things."

The machines in the exhibit are organized around three themes: transportation, military and mechanical. There is a large, interactive Educational area where everyone can test some of Leonardo's ideas. Each of the models in the exhibition has been built according to da Vinci's notes and with the materials available in 15th century Italy. Eleven machines are full-sized and 25 are interactive. People of all ages will be delighted by the chance to manipulate these machines to see how they were intended to function. Each replica is displayed with a facsimile of the relevant da Vinci drawing.

For more information about the exhibit, see www.davinciexperience.info