sign in sign up
<<
Home , Lady with an Ermine, Portrait of a Musician, Virgin of the Rocks

JOINT PRESS PELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION

LEONARDO OPERA OMNIA EXHIBITION UGANDA MUSEUM, FROM 19TH NOVEMBER 2019 TO 5TH JANUARY 2020 ______

Kampala, 24 October 2019 – The Embassy of Italy in Kampala, in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, the Uganda Tourism Board is proud to announce that the “Leonardo Opera Omnia” exhibition will be held in Kampala from the 19th November 2019 to 5th January 2020.

Leonardo Opera Omnia is an innovative and ambitious project, born from a collaboration between the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and RAI (the Italian Public Television), to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Leonardo ’s death. It aims at sharing the Italian Cultural Heritage by displaying seventeen high definition and true-to-scale reproductions of ’s masterpieces. The original paintings are scattered in various locations and museums all over the world. In Kampala, visitors will see them all in one place, here at the Uganda Museum. A curator from Italy will travel to Uganda to take care of the entire set-up of the exhibition and all the logistic costs of the initiative will be sponsored by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Leonardo Opera Omnia unveils the great master’s life and genius through his pictorial work. The exhibition is at the same time an art exposure and an educational experience, intended to showcase the culture of the Renaissance era through visual information, painted by Leonardo in the 16th century. Moreover, the exhibition brings together the cultural and artistic aspects of Leonardo’s works with the innovation and technology applied for the reproductions on display; this is the final and uppermost tribute to Da Vinci’s passion for inventions and scientific experimentation.

Though many people around the world recognize the work of Leonardo, they may not have had the chance to see his artworks in Europe; with the project Opera Omnia, the opportunity to see and enjoy the works of Leonardo Da Vinci, like “” or “The Last Supper”, is now being given to the majority of Ugandans and tourists at large.

It goes without saying that this will represent a unique occasion for Uganda and the entire region - not only in terms of cultural offer - but also for the potential impact that it will have on the growth of the tourism sector.

- 1 -

To mark the occasion, the Embassy of Italy has decided to renovate the main hall of the Uganda Museum and to give the entrance a fresh look, thanks also to the cooperation of the Private Sector.

The designated Italian Ambassador to Uganda commented: “Leonardo was born in a small village in (Italy) but his eclectic creative talent marveled his own era and the ones who followed, with his fame reaching every corner of the globe. He created the two most famous paintings in history: the Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. Driven by passion for innovative studies, he anticipated many of the great scientific discoveries ahead of his time (from calculators to helicopters, hydrodynamics to solar power), depicting him as the history’s most creative genius”.

The Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities said: “The Exhibition of Leonardo Da Vinci strengthens cultural exchange and promotes global understanding. Famous museums all over the world, host important works of art for the benefit of their communities and also attracting tourists to the destinations. This exhibition will raise the profile of the Uganda Museum and indeed Uganda as a heritage destination. This is an opportunity for regional visitors and international tourists to enrich their experience of rare and internationally acclaimed works of art in Uganda.”

The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation emphasized that “The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation in partnership with Ministry of Tourism Wildlife and Antiquities and Embassy of Italy invites all Ugandans, Members International Community, visitors to grace this event and use this opportunity to see and enjoy the entire pictorial corpus of the Artist in one place while enjoying the Italian music band “Ladri di Carrozzelle”, comprised by people with disabilities which bring to Uganda its mission of social inclusion and promotion of “diversity” through music. We also encourage all Political Leaders, Religious leaders, Embassies, Development partners, Non-Government Organizations, Civil Society Organizations, Institutions, Schools, Churches, Innovators, Artistes, People with disabilities, youth, women, elders and all of us to use this occasion to visit the Uganda Museum and see by ourselves the great arts of last supper of our Lord Jesus Christ, other arts and innovations during this life time opportunity.”

The Uganda Tourism Board CEO commented: “The Leonardo Opera Omnia collection is an opportunity to showcase a true master’s work in one location for the first time. The choice for Uganda to be the first to unveil this collection shows our tourism capacity and capability, highlighted with the trust put in us by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy and the Embassy of Italy in Uganda. Furthermore, this partnership and collaboration shows our increasingly successful partnership with Italy, who can contribute greatly to our cultural exposure with their equally diverse and rich history. In this way, we share a strong connection and background. We are confident that this collection will increase the domestic, regional and international tourism receipts while providing an educational platform for so many that may not be well versed with Leonardo Da Vinci, his works and his uniquely inspiring life story”

- 2 -

According to Prof. Antonio Paolucci, one of the highest experts on Leonardo, curator of Opera Omnia and former Director of the Vatican Museums: “Painting was more a means than an end for Leonardo da Vinci. It was an instrument of knowledge, scientific research and avant-garde professional experimentation. It was therefore an eminent intellectual activity aimed at understanding, through imitation and interpretation of nature, the great machine of the world”.

- ENDS -

Note to Editors

Leonardo (1452 - 1519) was born in a small village in Tuscany (Italy), son of a Florentine notary. When his family moved to , he started his apprenticeship at Verrocchio’s shop, considered at the time as the pinnacle of avant-garde figurative experimentation and a centre of attraction for intellectuals and artists. His eclectic creative talent marveled his own era and the ones who followed, with his fame reaching every corner of the globe.

Paintings on display: The , Madonna and Child (), Ginevra de' Benci, Adoration of the Magi, St Jerome in the Wilderness, Madonna and Child with Flowers (), (), La Belle Ferronière, , Mona Lisa, The Last Supper (Cenacle), The (Paris Version), The Virgin of the Rocks (London Version), Head of a Woman (), Saint , , The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne.

Confirmed sponsors

City Tyres Equatorial Power Qatar Airways Sheraton Kampala Hotel Stanbic Bank Uganda Youma Builders

For more information, contact: [email protected]

- 3 -