By Clare Shreve
Leonardo da Vinci has many names: the father of flight, the great observer and the genius.
At the OMSI the facets that comprise his intellect and his ingenuity are on display now through May 1 in the show titled, "Da Vinci: The Genius." The exhibit is full of replicas of many of da Vinci's inventions and sketches, including such sketches that lead to the modern day car, helicopter and plane. The exhibit seems to show that there was no aspect of life left untouched by da Vinci's mind.
He dabbled in architecture, medical and militaristic advancements, music, art, improvements in the hydraulic world of exploration, flight and perspective. The exhibit showcases each of these aspects of his genius and presents them to the viewers, occasionally giving visitors the ability to churn, rotate or slide some of the smaller replicas.
This da Vinci show is accessible on such varying levels that all ages and all disciples can appreciate his work. For the seven-year-old boy there are cranks to crank and pulleys to pull. Meanwhile the nursing student can marvel at da Vinci's devotion to anatomical studies, while the retiree can gape at the advancements of the scuba suit.
But for the engineer in us all, the first floor of the exhibit is primarily dedicated to showing the inventions of da Vinci. The large room is filled with flying contraptions hanging from the ceiling, large wing-looking pieces against walls and child-friendly stations that allow curious minds to replicate their own da Vinici piece. There is a "build an emergency bridge" floor activity that has a large replica of da Vinci's emergency bridge sketch, with a pile of considerably smaller precut faux wood logs that can be used to make your own bridge.
Since OMSI, is a child-friendly place it's not necessarily conducive to a leisurely and quiet stroll. Between the grade-schoolers, the preteens and their respective loud-talking chaperones, it may be difficult to read a sentence on da Vinci's goals without having a head block your vision or an echoing screech disrupt your concentration. The initial insanity dulls down and by the time you get to the second floor, everyone's tired, and for the most part quiet.
The second level plays host to the "Secrets of the Mona Lisa," which, for the art-enthusiast, might be the most interesting room in the exhibit. Walking into this next part of the museum, it looks a little like a contemporary, Andy Warhol-esque exhibit, with large quartets of eyes, eyebrows and lips arranged symmetrically each in a different color, one blue, one red, one pinkish and one yellow. In actuality, each piece offers a new perspective through infrared and ultraviolet scanning of individual aspects of Mona Lisa's face and body.
Accompanying this part of the exhibit is a large hanging tapestry that points out 25 secrets of the "Mona Lisa," along with a diagram of where these features are on the painting. One of the most interesting facts on the list - number 19 - stated "The repair of the elbow was necessary after a madman threw a rock at her causing damage in 1956." And sure enough there is visible damage on the exposed elbow. The knowledge of this and the other 24 secrets could not have been possible without the innovation of the multispectral camera that was invented by Pascal Cotte. This portion of the exhibit also offers a fresh look at the "Mona Lisa," a view that hasn't been seen since its creation in the early 15th century.
Cotte, a French-native, was granted permission by the Louvre in Paris to photograph da Vinci's most famous piece. His 240 million pixel camera was able to produce a copy of what was called "the most accurate recreation of the masterpiece in its original color."
The re-creation is on display near the end of the exhibit. It has every crack in the wood and chip in the paint that the original would also have. As "La Jaconde," the French translation of "Mona Lisa," hangs suspended between two thick pieces of plastic, viewers should make a 360 degree loop around her, noticing the writing on the back of the painting, which is explained in the blurb beneath the piece, and all of the imperfections that make up her delicate face. Visitors to this exhibit will not be granted another chance to have this intimate an experience with the "Mona Lisa" for years to come.
