The competition was presented at BASE in via Bergognone “Milan da Vinci” is an enhancement and promotion of Milan as a 'city of Leonardo', promoted by Accenture Italian Foundation in collaboration with the City of Milan , Civic School of Cinema Luchino Visconti.
“Leonardo da Vinci,” a biography of Walter Isaacson, just released in paperback by US publisher Simon & Shuster, landed at number two on the New York Times Best Sellers List this week.
On Wednesday, December 5 in Milan during the presentation of the initiative, it was precisely reaffirmed how strong the impact of Leonardo da Vinci is still five hundred years after his death.
In 1482 da Vinci was recalled to the Lombard city by Duke Ludovico Sforza. The artist and inventor left traces of him everywhere: The Last Supper, the Sala delle Asse of the Castello Sforzesco, the Ambrosian Library, the National Museum of Science and Technology, the channels of the ships, The Codex Atlanticus, etc.
This competition intends to reward and support the realization of the best design ideas which, through the use of new media, are able to tell the innovative spirit of da Vinci in terms of promoting Milan as an attractive, technological and tourist city.
The initiative has three objectives:
- Enhance the places and works of Leonardo's underground areas of the Municipality by promoting Milan as an attractive, innovative and technological tourist city;
- Enhance the potential of new media (interactive art, transmedia, media installation, performance, video work, video mapping, video installation, internet art, light design, etc.) as an artistic expression;
- Create usable and communicable projects in the spaces and online channels of the Municipality of Milan - and more generally for territorial promotion activities, in Italy and abroad.
The contest runs until 4 February 2019 and is hosted on the digital platform of the Italian Accenture Foundation. It is divided into several activities including four e-learning modules for all participants, two days of workshops for the eight finalist teams e three months of coaching for the two winning teams.
Multidisciplinary teams made up of a maximum of five individuals can participate in the competition. The average age of the team members cannot exceed 35 years and each member must have reached the age of majority.
It is a challenge of art, science and technology. The key question: if da Vinci were alive in 2019, what would he invent for Milan?
The journalist presided over the press conference Barbara Gasperini. The speakers on stage were Roberta Guaineri, Councilor for tourism, sport and quality of vision, Municipality of Milan, Philip Del Corno, Councilor for Culture, Municipality of Milan, Marilena Adam, President, Fondazione Milano, e Simona Torre, Secretary General, Italian Accenture Foundation.
The journalist Gasperini declared that da Vinci "is very strongly part of the Italian tradition". Guaineri, representing the Municipality of Milan, believes that currently in Milan “we are experiencing the same spirit, the same energy of the Leonardo years'. According to her: "Leonardo's creative thrust, as a globally recognized icon, in his being innovative, open, interdisciplinary, is an important legacy for the city, which keeps an eye on the historical heritage of its past and looks beyond, to a future of change and awareness of one's role in the world".
"In fact, we ask young people to present innovative projects that know how to exploit this material and immaterial leftover, contributing to the promotion of the artistic, cultural and technological heritage of our city " Del Corno explained.
Marilena Adamo encouraged the young people: “Not telling, but taking up Leonardo's challenge in the search for technologically innovative solutions."
Simona Torre of the Italian Accenture Foundation officially presented the competition, explaining the rules and details. The two awarded teams will be paid: 12.500 € for the technical implementation of the project, disbursed in two tranches e a coaching journey with teachers from School Civic di Cinema luchino Visconti for carrying out the project.
"With the Milano da Vinci competition we want to give young people the opportunity to experiment with new ways of communicating and representing the innovative soul that distinguishes the city of Milan" recalled his colleague Diego Visconti, President of the Italian Accenture Foundation.
Then the conference became a round table addressing the question: What contribution can digital culture make to the rediscovery of Leonardo's genius?
The round table was attended by: Isabella Menichini, Deputy Director of the Metropolitan Marketing Department, Municipality of Milan, Claudio Giorgione, Curator Leonardo, Art and Science, Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology, Francesco Invernizzi, Chief Executive Officer, Magnitudo film e Massimiliano Cremonini, Managing Director, Accenture Interactive.
The final word was to menichini of the Common di Milano who concludes: 'the real task of an administration is to make a synthesis ... to make a synthesis between the various interests. You need great listening skills”.
The competition is open and 2019 will undoubtedly be the year of da Vinci. After the attendees, it was all very clear: da Vinci's charm and mystery still reign: they have never lost their power.
Across the Atlantic, if we turn our gaze back to the New York Times Best Seller Lists, Anthony Grafton, in his review of Walter Isaacson's biography of da Vinci was of the same opinion: “Leonardo da Vinci specialists must work as detectives. They have to glean information from the smallest of clues.”
In fact, the trick that da Vinci knew how to skillfully manipulate was always the same: his mystery.
