The paintings and sculptures of Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti have transcended in time until today, to the point that, if we lived in the XXI century, their rivalry would be of the most mediatic. In which team would you position yourself? This is the challenge that throws us the great immersive exhibition that we can visit in IDEAL Barcelona, Digital Arts Center, an experience that already stands out for its good reception and that consolidates itself as a reference of immersive art in the city. Here you can buy your tickets.
This immersive experience is the first of its kind in Barcelona, where the traditional immersive format is mixed with real challenges for visitors. Without revealing more than necessary to avoid spoiling the surprise, here we tell you what awaits you in Leonardo Versus Michelangelo.
Team Leonardo or Team Michelangelo?
Leonardo Versus Michelangelo is a new immersive experience format with eight themed rooms, the public vote as the main element and the visitor as the real protagonist. Produced by Layers of Reality, pioneers in the creation of audiovisual and augmented reality experiences, it invites us to immerse ourselves in the artistic and vital universe of both artists, discovering their works in digital format.
In this exhibition, the careers of Leonardo and Michelangelo are contrasted at all times. Because these two geniuses not only coincided in time, but even came to compete by painting a mural each in the same room. Although these two works, which were to be in the Hall of the Five Hundred in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, were never completed (Giorgio Vasari ended up painting in their place), they did in fact absorb the great rivalry between the two most influential artists of their time.
What can we see in Leonardo Versus Michelangelo?
This rivalry is the beginning of the experience, with an introductory room where we are introduced to both artists and the history of the famous murals. Then, in the next room, we will travel back in time: the VR360 room will introduce us to the Florence of 1500, with a 360º virtual reality recreation of the city’s streets and workshops, culminating in a view of the Salone dei Cinquecento as it was at the time.
Leonardo Versus Michelangelo continues its tour with a digital art room where you can enjoy great works of the two artists put in the context of their time and their biographies.
This didactic review is complemented by the next room, of 1,000m2, which projects the 25-minute immersive film The Unfinished Battle on a loop, a journey that allows us to explore paintings and sculptures in great detail. And this is where we will take sides for the first time: during two moments of the projection we will have to physically position ourselves next to our favorite. Will it be easy to decide?
The experience continues with an interactive room inspired by the Renaissance studioli and culminates with a Battle Royale in metaverse format. In this innovative room we will walk through the great works of Leonardo and Michelangelo, we will be able to observe them closely and again, we will have to make difficult decisions.
With a mechanics inspired by video games, during our walk we will be asked to choose between some of the most relevant works of Leonardo and Michelangelo. Which work do we save and which do we condemn to oblivion? The time to make the decision will be limited and then there will be no turning back.
After all this cocktail of art and emotions, the final verdict. Once our journey through the metaverse is over, in Leonardo Versus Michelangelo we have to vote one last time, choosing our final genius. Who will be the winner?
This interactive and gamification mechanic makes Leonardo Versus Michelangelo a perfect exhibition for all ages and audiences. It is from a perfect plan to introduce children and teenagers to Art in capital letters to an experience that will delight both adult admirers of the work of the two geniuses and those not very seasoned in their trajectory but who love immersive experiences.
IDEAL, the center of digital arts reference in the city
Leonardo Versus Michelangelo has had its world premiere in Barcelona, at IDEAL. This center, with more than 2,000 m2, is the great reference space in Barcelona in terms of digital arts, which has hosted major exhibitions of great success, such as Monet, the immersive experience, Frida Kahlo: the life of a myth, Dali Cybernetic, Tutankhamun: the immersive experience or Jules Verne 200.
This duel of geniuses is the most ambitious project of IDEAL and Layers of Reality, a bet that, judging by the great influence, is being a success, as it is not only another immersive experience for the city: its “versus” format makes the attendees take sides and be real protagonists, something unprecedented in this kind of exhibitions.
