"Imagining the future - Leonardo da Vinci: In the mind of an Italian genius" (June 21, 2023 - August 20, 2023) Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

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At the DC Public Library Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library location downtown.  

"The DC Public Library is proud to host Imagining the future - Leonardo da Vinci: In the mind of an Italian genius an extraordinary monographic exhibit featuring 12 original Leonardo da Vinci drawings from the Codex Atlanticus. This Codex is the largest collection of original drawings and texts by Leonardo da Vinci in the world, and this marks the first time that such a number will be on display in the United States.

The exhibit is presented by Confindustria, the largest association representing manufacturing and service companies in Italy, in partnership with Biblioteca Ambrosiana, a true Italian treasure trove comprising a public library, an art gallery, and an academy. Supported by contributions from some of the most esteemed Italian companies, the exhibition represents an initiative of the highest artistic and symbolic value: an unconventional way to promote entrepreneurial spirit as a way of encouraging economic, social, and civic development.

Visitors will be able to gain insight into the varied interests of one of history’s greatest artists and thinkers, discovering the origins of technologies we often take for granted, and marveling at the remarkable mind that anticipated them centuries ago. Visitors will uncover how Leonardo’s philosophy, based on observation and experimentation, still embodies an Italian entrepreneurial approach.

The Imagining the future - Leonardo da Vinci: In the mind of an Italian genius exhibition is open to art, history and innovation enthusiasts and those interested in the interplay of art and science. 

About the Codex Atlanticus

The Codex Atlanticus is a collection of more than 1,200 pages across 12 volumes, containing Leonardo’s notes, drawings, and diagrams from 1478 to 1519. The codex covers a range of subjects, including flight, weaponry, mathematics and botany, and its content has found applications in fields such as engineering and design."

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This exhibit is...ok.  Obviously it's cool to see pages from a codex under da Vinci's hand.  But on show is mostly dimly lit architectural draws of things like a construction crane.  Some of the pages have interesting and actually kind of funny side drawings.  Almost like doodles made by someone sitting in a boring staff meeting.  Maybe the renaissance had boring staff meetings too? 

There are no tickets for the exhibit.  You arrive at the MLK Library, check in with the staff at the front entrance and put your name on a list and they text you when it's your turn.  We waited about 30 minutes.

I will say the MLK Library has some interesting exhibits in the main lobby and 4th floor about DC history.  And the roof top deck is very nice.  It doesn't have much of a view, but it's a lovely space.  Definitely worth checking out.