Get inside the mind of a genius

The da Vinci Machines exhibition will open at the LibraryMuseum on 13 April.

This award-winning interactive exhibition invites everyone with curiosity to delve into the mind of artist, scientist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci.

On loan from the Museum of Leonardo da Vinci in Florence, Italy, the exhibition showcases 60 interactive machines created from original da Vinci drawings. Highlights include a bicycle, a scuba suit, a spring-powered car and flying machines.

Among da Vinci’s innovations are automatons (the precursors to robots), nautical, hydraulic and architectural tools, ground-breaking applications of civil engineering and fear-inspiring machines of war like the tank.

Visitors won’t need to travel to museums, galleries and churches in Europe to get up close to the paintings for which da Vinci became the most celebrated Renaissance artist.

Included in the exhibition are digital prints of the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, The Annunciation, Lady with an Ermine and da Vinci’s self-portrait. Visitors will have the rare opportunity to compare the restored Mona Lisa with the vibrant, pre-restoration painting.

Suitable for all ages, the exhibition has attracted more than 6 million people in more than 30 countries.

As part of the exhibition, Luigi Rizzo from the Artisans of Florence will conduct a guided tour on 14 April. A range of other programs will be run during the exhibition.

Entry to the main exhibition is by donation.

The Lavington Library will also take part, with a chance for local children to make a model glider as part of school holiday activities on 23 April.

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