On Saturday, an international exhibition of newly created works based on Leonardo’s sketches opened in Seattle.
The traveling exhibition will be at Historical Industry Museum Until the premiere on January 3rd on the West Coast.
Leonardo was an inventor, artist, sculptor, etc., but the works in the exhibition were not built by him. They were recreated by an Italian artist based on his sketches. About 60 wooden inventions are arranged on the walls of the exhibition and hung from the ceiling. Some even have labels welcoming customers to touch them and move the handles and levers to see how they work.
“It’s not a real thing, we know it, but we hope the inspiration we can provide people with is real,” said Leonard Garfield, Executive Director of Mohai.
The inventions on display show Leonardo’s observations of nature: flying devices, three-dimensional urban planning, and weapons of war. It also showed his sketches for studying human anatomy.
MOHAI focuses on innovation in the Seattle area. Garfield said that this exhibition fits the theme of the museum because “Leonardos is among us.”
Garfield mentioned the recent space trip of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and other inventors who see space as a continuing frontier.
“In the exhibition, you will see Leonardo being quoted as saying that once someone flies into the sky, you will never look down again, because this is a vast universe, the constantly receding horizon that we reach, Because that’s who we are as human beings,” Garfield said.
Bezos, who was aboard the Blue Origin New Shepard rocket ship with three others last week, donated US$10 million to MOHAI in 2011.
Although Leonardo came from Italy, about 5,000 miles from the Pacific Northwest, Sandra SnyderThe Director of Education said that he represents an innovative way of thinking that the region also celebrates.
“This is a person who is curious about everything, dabbles in everything, constantly innovating and experimenting,” Snyder said. “I think it is this spirit that makes the connection.”
Snyder said that people of all ages can visit the exhibition, and she hopes students can experience it. The museum is expected to have 20,000 to 30,000 students on field trips, although the attendance of the pandemic is uncertain.
She said that Da Vinci’s works are very helpful for students to understand their role in the world.
“Everyone can determine the needs of the world in front of them, and everyone can become an innovator in this area. I think this really supports this idea,” Snyder said. “Furthermore, we saw where things were unresolved, and [DaVinci] Did not give up. This is also a very important information that can be shared with them. “