Da Vinci Alive

After Van Gogh a few months ago, it is now the great Rennaisance master who is inspiring the creativity of the Accademia Italiana's students. This second and very personal multi-sensory performance takes3 place in the deconsacrated church of Santo Stefano al Ponte from October 19 to November 2.

It is a show within a show, in keeping with the style of the original exhibition organized by Perlage Eventi e Grande Exibitions, back from its world tour. Featured are the works of the Product Design and Graphic Design students in their third year, instructed by Catherine Hamon (Product Design) and Walter Conti (Graphic Design). While the Graphic Design students reinterpreted Leonardo da Vinci's masterpieces of art, the Product Design students were inspired by the technical and scientific observations of the artist from the pages of his manuscripts, including sketches of inventions such as the studies of military engineering and flying machines. Instructor Catherine Hamon explains, “These new objects of design demonstrate how much creativity there is in these young, talented students. The designs on display, although incorporating the original sketches of Leondardo, do not directly lead back to their sources of inspiration.” For example, the Viturvian man becomes a chair, and Leondardo's wind-propelled helicopter becomes an outdoors lamp equipped with a propeller that is similarly wind-powered. Room to express their creativity for the students of the school based in Piazza Pitti, which has never wavered from its openness and attention to local initiatives and opportunities. The school's President Vincenzo Giubba explains: “ We have always fostered relationships between the students and companies through joint initiatives and in recent years have successfully experimented with integrated peformances combining music, dance and now art.”