Leonardo da Vinci's Workshop Ends Exhibition 3/14

Leonardo da Vinci's Workshop, a highly anticipated exhibit featuring life-size models of Leonardo's inventions and machines - using authentic materials - and state-of-the-art touch screens enabling visitors to "turn the pages" of Leonardo's personal notebooks (Codices) will end its exhibition Saturday, March 14th.

The exhibition, direct from Milan and making its North American premiere, brings to life dozens of Leonardo's inventions, visions and concepts, including his gigantic flying machines, "automobile," robots, weapons of war, and mechanical devices, which foreshadowed modern technology.

Highlights of the unparalleled new exhibit, which celebrates the genius of a man who was hundreds of years ahead of his time, include the Great Kite, which is considered his "definitive" flying machine, as well as the world's first working prototype of his Self-Propelled Cart, and the first physical models of his Mechanical Bat and Mechanical Lion, among others. All of the models in the exhibit were constructed according to Leonardo's famed Codices, which contain thousands of pages of notes, drawings and designs, and were recreated using materials and techniques that would have existed in the 15th and 16th centuries. Interestingly, Leonardo's famous "mirror writing" - he wrote backwards from right to left - can be seen in the digitized versions of these notebooks.

Other featured Leonardo inventions in the exhibit include the first Robot and the famous Aerial Screw, which is often called the precursor to the modern-day helicopter, as well as his Self-Supporting Bridge, Multi-Cannon Gunship, Hydraulic Saw, Wire-Controlled Bird, Double Crane, Swing Bridge, Ships Cannon with Shield and Paddle Boat, among others.

Using touch screens, visitors can translate more than 500 sketches from Leonardo's Codices into 3-dimensional models.

On-site docents are available to help visitors get the best experience from the touch-screen displays. In addition, a "build your own bridge" area enables kids and their families to engage with the exhibit, and use Leonardo's design to build their own Self-Supporting Bridge.

Curated by the noted Leonardo experts at Leonardo3 (L3) in Milan and produced by Running Subway Productions, the exhibit also includes displays of Leonardo's masterpieces pre-and-post restoration. These high-resolution digital images provide new information about these world-famous paintings. For instance, in "The Last Supper," we can now see a salt shaker on the table that appears o be knocked over by Judas, as well as a church in the distance, long obscured by years of dust and decay.

Other highlights of the exhibit include a recreation of Leonardo's workshop and a film providing insight into the mind and life of a genius.

"The purpose of this exhibit is to make Leonardo's most important surviving manuscripts - Manuscript B, the Codex on Flight and the Codex Atlanticus - available to the greater public," said Mario Taddei, exhibit creator and L3 scientist. "Through the application of the L3 Digital Codex technology, people can not only turn the pages of the manuscripts, but also understand and appreciate their contents, seen as they are in a totally new light, thanks to the models and three-dimensional animations."

James Sanna, President and Executive Producer of Running Subway Productions, added: "This unique new exhibit combines the genius of Leonard Da Vinci with the most advanced technologies of today to bring to life Leonardo's inventions like never before. We are proud and excited to bring this exhibit to New York City as the world premiere."

Leonardo da Vinci's Workshop will run for a limited engagement from November 20, 2009 through March 2010 at the Discovery Times Square Exposition (226 West 44th Street).

An innovative research center and media company dedicated to the work of Leonardo da Vinci. L3 encompasses a center and workshop for research and study; exhibition and museum production; editorial, television and multimedia production; and a publishing company whose mission is to study, interpret and make cultural heritage available to the public through the use of avant-garde methods and technology.

Running Subway Productions is a New York-based entertainment Production Company that conceptualizes, produces, markets and manages iconic productions and exhibits. Since inception just five years ago, Running Subway has staged a multitude of successful shows and exhibits combining traditional entertainment with innovative technology and groundbreaking ideas to provide audiences with unique and unforgettable experiences.