What do Beethoven and Nicki Minaj have in common? They’re both Sagittarians, and their names both flash up on an astrological star map near the end of this frankly bonkers Leonardo da Vinci “experience”.
Unlike those two, da Vinci never wrote music, but if he did, one imagines he would be brilliant at it. The Italian polymath of the High Renaissance is considered to be one of the greatest creative minds that ever existed – not only did he paint the Mona Lisa, but he also showed astounding technological ingenuity – so an hour-long creative journey through his eyes has a lot to live up to.
It starts off well and with a simple swoosh of the hand, visitors can distort a massive projection of ‘The Last Supper’. This trick is repeated with the movement of bouncing basketballs, which participants can hurl from one side to the other with a hand gesture. The balls, like a lot of elements in this show, have nothing to do with the artist – but they are a chance to show off some neat interactive graphics.
Near the end, da Vinci’s famous ‘Renaissance Man’ morphs into a female Tron-like figure and starts marching purposefully forward. The Experience is naff, but its bombastic energy and naive conviction are strangely uplifting; the young kids running around were euphoric.
- Genius Immersive Experience: Leonardo da Vinci – Through Dec 31 Wriezener Karree, Friedrichshain
