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Leonardo da Vinci exhibition in Patras 2006 by Hatto Fischer

Exhibition poster Patras 2006

Leonardo as creator, scientist – Another block buster exhibition, this time in Patras to signify that this Mediterranean port city is indeed after Cork 2005 the Cultural Capital City of Europe in 2006 - January 14, 2006: With the opening of the exhibition “Leonardo as creator, scientist” the city of Patras has finally acknowledged officially that it is the European Cultural Capital for 2006.

The Cultural Minister was not present since Costas Karamalis is at the same time Prime Minister with many other duties to look after. He delegated, however, Deputy Cultural Minister Petros Tatoulis who pledged 178 Mill. Euro as answer to the criticism by former artistic director, Thanos Mikroutsikos who had resigned early January out of protest that the necessary funds had not been provided to start the program. Significantly the Deputy Cultural Minister was accompanied by Deputy Defence Minister of the Nea Democratia government as if to underline that Leonardo da Vinci is not known only through his ‘Mona Lisa’ but as well as inventor of military machines.

Exhibition on Italian artist showcases multifaceted genius through notes, drawings and studies

The exhibition is divided into three categories (drawings, originals, audiovisual material) showcasing Leonardo’s image as an inventor and a scientist. The show is further accompanied by 12 touch-screens presenting audiovisual programs on all the categories of Leonardo’s inventions. A film about Leonardo’s life and work, an exciting insight into his universal thought, is also screened as part of the exhibition.

Drawings, notes and other insights into a creative life

Between 1490 and 1495 Leonardo da Vinci developed his habit of recording his studies in meticulously illustrated notebooks. Sigmund Freud, in his psychoanalytical biography of Leonardo da Vinci, is drawn to this meticulous habit to write down everything, especially in accounting all his expenditures, including how much he spend on gifts for his father. Freud believed that Leonardo da Vinci is a classical example of a person deprived of any free relationship to sexuality as the father was over towering and virtually omnipresent. Hence the artistic work expresses something like an exploration in how he could escape from such personal tutelage.

His work covered four main themes: painting, architecture, the elements of mechanics, and human anatomy. These studies and sketches were collected into various codices and manuscripts, which are now hungrily collected by museums and individuals (Bill Gates recently plunked down $30 million for the Codex Leicester!).

The Patras exhibition, which features about 150 drawings and models of Leonardo’s inventions, has separated them into following thematic units:

For students and experts of museums of great interest has been the method by which Leonardo’s notes, drawings and studies have been reproduced. According to the explanatory text accompanying the exhibition, it is the only met

hod which maintains the precise image of the originals and their high artistic value. The pages from Leonardo’s notebooks were reproduced in the size of the originals, through different phases, in a procedure which transfers on to special handmade paper only the drawings’ outline and framework.

Reconstruction of the original models

The artefacts belong to one of the three collections approved by the Da Vinci Academy. Many models have been constructed from the beginning of the 20th century, based on Da Vinci’s original sketches.

Use of multi-media

The visitors will have the opportunity to touch the exhibits, to set them in motion, to learn and comprehend the “anatomy of machinery”. The exhibition is being completed with 12 touch-screens and 6 interactive programs of 8,000 pictures that offer its user significant information about Da Vinci himself, his work and the epoch he lived.

The ideal city – the city of proportions – the European city

It is a pity that the exhibition does not take up really the theme of Patras being a Cultural Capital City of Europe. Something of interest could be thematised and connect the cultural heritage of Patras to what mistakes have been made since modern development meant giving way to the language of cement putting its stamp on everything. If one goes to the Leonardo da Vinci Museum in Milano, there is displayed among many other topics Leonardo da Vinci touched upon also his concept of the Ideal city: the Renaissance city. Arcades and inner squares let the play of light show how gracious the buildings can be before they take on a metaphysical landscape like character as shown later by the Surrealist painter de Chirico. The emphasis was on proportionality to allow for recognition of the individual in midst of the urban landscape. This was an essential credo of the Renaissance even though Giotto showed already in the thirteenth century what unifies more than anything else people is the gesture of pain. Since then the very definition of a city was according to philosopher Derrida also the immediate response to any potential violence directed against the individual by initiating a new law to resolve this problem. The time frame meant an enlightened despotism favouring participation of citizens in the selection of art works for buildings as much as of buildings themselves. Michel Angelo felt himself this connection between artist, patriot and citizen although he too felt the pressure to earn money by producing art works defined not merely by the citizens but by the Roman Catholic Church. It was a precarious time and the Renaissance did not last throughout Italy for a long time; as a matter of fact, each city had its own time horizon of not more than fifteen years when the enlightened despotism gave way to a new power struggle and even Leonardo da Vinci had to flee at the end of his life to France, in order to survive. In that sense, the spirit of that time was expressed through the Renaissance saying: if there is peace between cities, then there is also peace in the country side.

Another block buster exhibition


There is something else to be said about this type of exhibition for like the Titanic exhibition, it is another block buster, and indicates how the European dimension is increasingly becoming so commercialized that the uniqueness of the place vanishes and therefore nothing brought together there is of special value. This fact is hidden by the announcement of Patras 2006 that the “Leonardo Da Vinci… Inventor and Scientist” exhibition will be hosted in Greece for the very first time. Needless to say it means this exhibition has been hosted before, though, in many European galleries. Its value rests on the fact that it has attracted more then one million visitors up to now.

So the exhibition that Patras chose to mark the opening of Europe’s top cultural institution has already drawn one million visitors in New York and in Geneva. Its aim, according to curator Dr Otto Letze, is to present Leonardo da Vinci’s visionary thinking and multifaceted talent in the most complete scientific way, so that visitors can comprehend why the artist has been described as a “universal genius” and, at the same time, a model of Homo universalis. The exhibition will run under the direction of Dr. Otto Letze, the Director of the Institute of Cultural Exchanges in Germany, who has been in charge of more than 200 exhibitions in Museums all over the world.

No wonder for such a selection if the criterion of success is that a cultural program deemed worthy of being the Cultural Capital City in Europe for 2006 has to have its ‘crowd pleasers’. However, that will not be easy as Alexis Alatsis, the new temporary artistic director confesses to the Greek Newspaper Kathimerini: “There are matters outstanding, mainly to do with completing the process of signing contracts for all the scheduled activities in the cultural program.”

Furthermore, he hints at other attempts to salvage Patras from its first dismal showing in the press, namely that “there are other pending matters that are associated with the attempt to enrich and broaden the program.” It was clear that Mikroutsikos had wanted to announce such events that are crowd pleasers but due to the absence of money, he could not and therefore resigned. If anything, Alexis Alatsis upholds such an approach and adds another reason as to why such crowd pleasers even if not unique or necessarily the outcome of efforts linked to having a concept as being Europe’s Cultural Capital City, namely that “such events must be included in the program, not only because they are crowd pleasers but because they corresponded to the public’s justifiable expectations from an event of such magnitude that will, of course, cater to all ages. I hope the negotiations will soon be completed so they can be announced in full detail.”

This means Patras has yet to sign contracts with many groups and individuals who had been asked to commit themselves even though there was and still is no greater certainty that the money is there and the venues ready in order that these events can take place.

Looking beyond 2006 - investment in the future:

Although the MEPs of the European Parliament have said that the concept of Cultural Capital City should not be downgraded to being just another infrastructural project with works completed well after the year of being the cultural capital has passed, as was the case in Thessaloniki, the statement made by the Coordinator of the Organisational Committee and representative of the Nea Democratia government in Patras 2006, namely Christos Roilos says it all:

“Cultural Capital of Europe 2006, Patras 2006, is the biggest investment in culture ever made in Achaia. The refurbishment of the venues for artistic events and the creation of infrastructure that will remain in the city after 2006 are the right foundation for the further development of the area. Likewise, the program of events is designed so that each theme can become an independent festival after 2006.”

 

Note:

This text

Leonardo da Vinci exhibition in Patras - Cultural Capital City in 2006

was originally written for

Heritage Radio Network

Category: Arts & Artists

By: Hatto Fischer, Athens

18.01.06

www.heritageradio.net

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