Da Vinci the Genius Exhibition...

Da Vinci the Genius Exhibition @ The Singapore Science Centre

From May 16th to August 16th 2009

It's been a long time since we have gone to somewhere interesting to explore & have fun, due to her attachment & my prior commitment to training. Since Charmaine♥ wanted to go see the exhibition of 'Da Vinci the Genius' @ The Science Center, and I thought it would be a such a new, exciting experience, we were soon on our way to the Science Center~!

I boarded a bus towards Ang Mo Kio Hub, while she♥ hopped on midway. Grabbed a few bites to fill our empty stomachs. Then we set off on our journey to the 'Da Vinci the Genius' exhibition @ The Science Center, via the Red North-South Line. It was a 38minutes train ride from AMK to Jurong East... Upon arrival, we're presented with two options: to walk or to take the bus to the Science Center. If you know me, I'll always prefer to walk ONLY IF it's for a short distance & sheltered... Haha

I can't remember when was the last time I went to the Science Center... think it was during my secondary school days. Anyway, it was "Science Center, Here WE COME!~"

It wasn't even the weekends & the whole place was bustling with activities! Parents with kids, kids with kids, & teachers with kids from school excursions.

And then I saw my childhood favourite - Dinosaurs! Well... actually I only saw one model of the T-Rex, but I just gotta take a photo with it~! Heheh...

Before we get carried away by other attractions outside the Center, we better go get our tickets. Tickets are:
$15 each - for just the Da Vinci the Genius Exhibition only,

$16 each - for the Da Vinci the Genius Exhibition + Science Center Package.

As we proceed onto the exhibition at the Annexe, we saw the first & last exhibition piece at the entrance, that we were allowed to take a picture of... It's an "emergency bridge"; a wooden bridge that can be erected quickly during battle situations. It doesn't require any ropes or nails to secure the joints. It simply makes use of the weight of the soldiers crossing it to interlock & secure it in place! Truly the Laws of Physics applied in a simple yet intricate form...

About Leonardo da Vinci:
Found out about the scientific journals of Leonardo; called the 'Codices' - examples like the 'Codex Leicester' & 'Codex Atlanticus'. From which, all the exhibits were constructed as closely as possible to the original drawings... We saw many of Leonardo's amazing flying machines, nautical, hydraulic & architectural innovations, and applications of civil engineering & incredible war machines.

After visiting the exhibition, did I find out that many of today's inventions & technology were derived from Leonardo's. He was a renowned renaissance artist (painting, sculpting), philosopher, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, architect, botanist, musician & writer. He was famous for his painting of the "Mona Lisa" & "The Last Supper", & his drawing of the "Vitruvian Man".

Did you know, Leonardo was an illegitimate son & did not went through proper education, he wrote backwards from the right to left. And that during his time, he already conceptualised a helicopter, a tank, a submarine, a diving suit, a glider, a calculator and the use of concentrated solar power (Truly amazing!). Many of these facts intrigued me, as I found out more about him throughout the exhibition...

Interesting facts about "The Last Supper"

(Above: The Actual Last Supper in vibrant colours)
(Below: The Last Supper after years of deterioration & repair)

- Leonardo began working on "The Last Supper" in 1495 and completed it in 1498. However Leonardo did not work on it continuously during this period of three years. It was said that on some days, he would work on the painting without putting down the brush to rest. On other days, he would not even lift up the brush, but simply look at it. It was even said that he spent one year in the streets without working on the painting, simply to observe & note down the peoples' expressions. He was studying & looking for the ideal expressions for the twelve disciples. It was also during this time that Leonardo devised a new technique for painting "The Last Supper" on dry plaster on the wall instead of wet plaster, which was uncommon during those times. However after it was completed, it started to deteriorate as early as 1517, proving that Leonardo's new technique didn't work. And because it was so damaged till the point where the figures were beyond recognition, a doorway was cut through the wall painting in 1652, but was later on, bricked up. This can still be seen as the arch-shaped structure located near the center base of the painting.

Interesting facts about the "Mona Lisa"

Left: The actual Mona Lisa with its vibrant colours.
Right: The present Mona Lisa after damage & attempted restorations.

- Leonardo began painting the "Mona Lisa" in 1503, left it unfinished for a period of time & finally finished it shortly before he died in 1519. "Mona Lisa" was speculated to be named after Lisa del Giocondo, a member of the Gherardini family of Florence & Tuscany & the wife of a wealthy Florentine silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo. Another saying was that the "Mona Lisa" was never a real person, and that it was Leonardo whom created her based on the ideal facial features collected on the streets during the painting of "The Last Supper". Others say that it was the female version of Leonardo, himself.

- The "Mona Lisa" was once owned by Napoleon, whom hung it in his bathroom for a period of time before moving it into his bedroom later on. It was during this period, when the steam from the bathroom damaged the painting.
- The painting was also once stolen on August 21st, 1911, in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. The theft was discovered two years later, that the Louvre employee Vincenzo Peruggia (an Italian) stole it, believeing that Leonardo's painting should be returned to Italy & displayed in an Italian museum. When he was caught, Peruggia was hailed for his patriotism in Italy & served only a few months in jail for his crime.