EX MACHINA

The Exhibition

On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death on the 2nd May, 1519, the Museum of the University of Tübingen MUT is opening an extensive exhibition in Hohentübingen Castle: At the centre of this only major presentation in Germany for this anniversary are almost 50 large replicas of machine designs based on Leonardo’s drawings. The surprisingly designed show by the curators Ernst Seidl and Frank Dürr in cooperation with the scenographer Stephan Potengowski shows the objects, reconstructed by Italian craftsmen, not auratically staged, but supplemented with modern equipment in workshop rooms. The aesthetic context of the approximately 300 casts of ancient sculptures in the Knights’ Hall of Hohentübingen Castle, which were role models of the Italian Renaissance art, significantly contrasts to the exhibition design. The inspirational sources for this were also art installations of the US-American artist Jason Rhoades who died in 2006 and was defined as the “modern Leonardo”.

Workshop character, invention laboratory and experience room as presentation locations of encyclopaedic motivated research point at the “Myth of Leonardo” as one of the most knowledge-hungry universal geniuses and as the ideal type of Renaissance man. Leonardo became an icon of interdisciplinarity and universality because his life’s work encompasses science, art and innovative technology. This correlation of different education and science systems also shows itself in the 70 research, teaching and display collections of the old Eberhard Karls University, founded in 1477 – thus in the year the 25-year-old Leonardo just won the favour of Lorenzo il Magnifico, the lord of Florence. The exhibition will be opened on exactly the 500th death anniversary, the 2nd May, 2019, at 7pm, in Hohentübingen Castle in the presence of the Rector of the University of Tübingen, the Consul General of the Italian Republic, Dott. Massimo Darchini, and with an evening presentation by Prof. Dr. Frank Zöllner from the Institute of Art History at the University of Leipzig, the currently most renowned German-speaking Leonardo researcher. A richly illustrated, approx. 300-page thick publication (29,90 €) with contributions by numerous scientists accompanies the exhibition. In addition, there is a Leo “da Winzig” inventory workshop in the cabinet room for families, children and school classes and a special quiz booklet which was organized in a museum educational praxis seminar with students of the university. There are also workshops, a family day and special guided tours.

Tours

Attack & Defence: Leonardo da Vinci’s Military Designs for Kids
Leonardo da Vinci – The Universal Genius for Kids
Above the Clouds – Leonardo’s Dream of Flying for Kids
Leonardo da Vinci – The Universal Genius
Grey Hair but no Grey Cells – Leonardo’s Inventions and Research at Old Age

Courses

Leonardo da Vinci’s Dream of Flying for Kids
The Dreamer – Drawing Lesson with Leo for Kids
Become a Bridge Builder like Leonardo for Kids
Mechanics of Defence – Leonardo da Vinci’s Military Studies for Kids
The Bridge Builder Leonardo da Vinci