As it makes its first visit to Brisbane, SEW Eurodrive is proud to once again sponsor the da Vinci Machines: An Exhibition of Genius. Open from now until September 6th, this is an opportunity to see the works of one of the greatest geniuses of all time.
A tried and tested partnership, Leonardo da Vinci was the forefather of the technology that has lead to SEW being a world leader in innovation today. Without da Vinci’s Machines, drive automation may not have come to exist. Visitors can wander through the exhibition to see the many gears and pulleys in Da Vinci’s machines, before seeing today’s modern equivalent, being SEW’s power transmission technology, as a grand finale to the exhibition. With over 60 machines on display, many of which are interactive, the collection features replicas of the major and most striking inventions of the original Renaissance Man.
The replicas based on the designs of da Vinci, who was without doubt the most significant engineer and technologist of his era, have already been seen by millions worldwide from Florence, Venice, New York and Warsaw to Madrid, Hong Kong, Dubai, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.
This public display is informative and thought-provoking with the emphasis on enjoyment and interaction and offers a stimulating, entertaining and educational experience for pre-schoolers through to seniors.
The main features include the “tank”, “spring powered car”, “hang glider” and the “air screw”, a precursor to the helicopter.
da Vinci created some of the greatest paintings in the history of art and high quality canvas reproductions of his most famous artworks such as Mona Lisa, Vitruvian Man, the Last Supper and The Annunciation can be viewed at this exciting exhibition.
A cinema features a documentary about the inventor’s life, plus there will be computer animations of the more complex models, informative panels showing images of his original designs and children’s activities like building your own parachute.
Innovative and creative, Leonardo da Vinci passionately dedicated himself to scientific studies. His manuscripts – known as Codices – exhibit ingenious solutions to practical problems of his time and he was able to imagine future possibilities such as flying machines and automation.
Historical documents reveal da Vinci commissioned local artisans, who were the only craftsmen he trusted, to create his machines but unfortunately none of these have survived.
The systematic study of Vincian Technology is a recent phenomenon dating back only 50 years. A company of Florentine artisans have interpreted da Vinci’s designs and constructed fine models, using computers to calculate their exact proportions. Each machine is hand-crafted using the materials of the time – wood, cotton, brass, iron and cord.
The exhibition runs daily from June 6th to September 9th, 10am – 6pm. It is located in the pavilion in the cultural forecourt, South Bank, Brisbane.