Dubai: An exhibition showcasing Leonardo da Vinci’s life-size inventions has been opened to the public for the first time at the Grand Atrium of the Dubai Mall.
Called ‘Leonardo da Vinci - The Genius and His Inventions,’ the exhibition features 40 life-size machines, which are faithful reproductions of Da Vinci’s original designs which are enshrined in the Da Vinci Codes, a major recollection of inventions that changed the world. Italian Ambassador to the UAE Giorgio Starace inaugurated the exhibition on Saturday.
On display are exact replicas of Da Vinci’s inventions grouped into four categories — air, water, earth, and fire — highlighting the Italian inventor’s contribution to technology. The exhibition will run until August 15.
“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,” Consul General Giovanni Favilli said.
The exhibition is permanently housed at Piazza della Cancelleria in Rome, but a section of it is being sent regularly to international exhibitions around the world. It has already been shown in Austria, Germany and Turkey, recording more than 8,000 visitors per month.
In the UAE, Da Vinci’s works were first showcased in Abu Dhabi, under the patronage of and inaugurated by Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development.
In Italy, the exhibition attracts an average of 100,000 visitors a year, of which 30 per cent are students.
