Da Vinci — the Genius
At Museum of Science, Oct. 23-
Feb. 26. Free with exhibit-halls admission. 617-723-2500, www.mos.org
Art meets physics meets hands-on exploration at the Museum of Science this fall with a new exhibit revolving around the work of the original Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci. “Da Vinci – the Genius,’’ opening Oct. 23, will feature interactive installations perfect for kids and adults of all ages.
The show, developed by Grande Exhibitions of Australia in conjunction with Il Genio di Leonardo da Vinci Museo in Italy, has been traveling around the world, from Oklahoma City to Odessa.
Going beyond the paintings for which Da Vinci is well known, “The Genius’’ places an emphasis on the artist’s scientific inventions. The Museum of Science will house more than 200 pieces, including life-size replicas of such things as a dragonesque ornithopter flying machine and proto-SCUBA diving aparatus. Since most of what da Vinci left behind were his codices — theoretical sketches in small notebooks — Italian artisans worked to faithfully bring his drawings to life using Renaissance-era materials and techniques.
For Larry Ralph, director of education enterprises, temporary exhibits, and collections at the Museum of Science, the exhibit is about much more than chin-stroking art contemplation.
“There is interactivity provided by Grande Exhibitions, but much more will be added in by our live staff of interpreters,’’ he says. “This is where the kids really get involved, when we emphasize the physical and mechanical principles at play.’’
Ralph said his team juggled the layout to fit the museum’s floor plan, using da Vinci to link its natural history, math, and anatomy sections.
“We’re not an art museum,’’ Ralph said. “We wanted to make sure the scientific parts and anatomical parts that fit so well in our STEM mission are highlighted.’’
Roll carts and stands will be stationed throughout the exhibit halls, demonstrating wheels, levers, pumps, and other systems at play in da Vinci’s work.
While there will be plenty to lay your hands on, a related exhibit called “The Secrets of the Mona Lisa’’ is more about deep focus.
Expanding the iconic painting into 40 different high-resolution images, “The Secrets of the Mona Lisa’’ features the work of French scientist Pascal Cotte, who spent years analyzing da Vinci’s portrait at the Louvre Museum in Paris. Stripped of frame and glass, the painting was subjected to Cotte’s multi-spectral camera analysis, developed at his company Lumiere Technologies. A 240-million pixel camera (a prototype of which will be on display in the museum) uses 30 light filters to visually deconstruct the painting and reveal the brushstrokes that contribute to each layer.
“The camera can peel back the layers of paint like an onion and see how the artist painted,’’ Cotte said in a 2011 BBC interview.
Ralph said Cotte’s technique allows him to digitally remove the varnish and effects of degradation to show the painting as it was when it sat drying in da Vinci’s studio in 1507.
As a traveling exhibit, “The Genius’’ has proved popular elsewhere.
“It’s the perfect marriage of science and art for an interactive museum,’’ said Clint Stone, director of education and training at the Science Museum Oklahoma, where another version of the exhibit is currently showing. “We find the hands-on elements are great. That’s where the children naturallly gravitate. When they have the opportunity to have their hands on those machines, they’re then able to slow down and process what’s going on.’’
Stone said he is eager to see what other musuems will add when it comes through.
“There’s something for everyone with this exhibit,’’ Stone said. “That’s what makes it so exciting.’’
Da Vinci — the Genius
At Museum of Science, Oct. 23-Feb. 26. Free with exhibit-halls admission. 617-723-2500, www.mos.org
Carly Sitrin can be reached at carly.sitrin@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @carlysitrin.
