Dubai hosts Leonardo da Vinci exhibition

The Italian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai are presenting an exhibition entitled, "Leonardo Da Vinci - The Genius and His Inventions", taking place in the Grand Atrium of Dubai Mall. On show there are forty life-size machines, which are all full-scale reproductions of Leonardo Da Vinci's original designs, re-created using as much of the original materials as possible, and using Leonardo's original designs from his manuscripts. The exhibition focuses on Leonardo's contribution to technology, highlighting the ingenuity of the Italian who was also a world class painter, sculptor and writer. Genius Srl, the company that has brought the exhibition to the UAE, started reproducing the full-scale machines based on the 15th century designs of Leonardo a few years ago in Rome, Italy. The machines were built and glued together using wood, cords and ropes of the time and each model is accompanied by descriptive panels with reproductions of Leonardo's original drawings. The machines and the devices designed by Leonardo are grouped into 4 sections: Air, Water, Earth, and Fire, which show the underlying principles of physics and mechanics which Leonardo discovered and applied. Visitors can enhance the exhibition experience by downloading an application from ITunes called simply "Leonardo - The Genius and His Inventions" in nine languages explaining the exhibit in every detail. Italian Consul General, Giovanni Favilli, said, "Leonardo da Vinci is the most significant representative of the Italian Renaissance. By showing his inventions, we want to provide historical evidence of the everlasting Italian talent for innovation, creativity and engineering that continues today. Leonardo was a man of vision and it is only right that his works are presented in the city that has shown most vision in the twenty first century, Dubai, and in one of its landmarks, Dubai Mall." The exhibition, which was hosted last month in Abu Dhabi and inaugurated by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, is permanently housed at Piazza della Cancelleria in Rome, while a part of it travels around the world. It has already been shown in Austria, Germany and Turkey, recording more than 8,000 visitors per month. In Italy, an average of 100,000 people per year visit, of whom 30% are school pupils. Consul-General Favilli expects to post record visits in Dubai Mall. The exhibition opened last night in Dubai, in the presence of the Ambassador of Italy in the UAE, Giorgio Starace and other dignitaries.