Imagining the future • Leonardo da Vinci: in the mind of an Italian genius

The initiative

INSIDE THE SOUL OF ITALIAN ENTERPRISE

For the very first time, a selection of twelve original plates from Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Atlanticus (preserved in the archives of the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan, Italy) will be exhibited in the United States at the District of Columbia Public Library in Washington, DC, from June 20 to August 20, 2023.

Chapter One

Leonardo da Vinci, symbol of italian talent and ingenuity

A major cultural initiative for the nation: creating a bridge between cultures

With this exhibition, we wanted to talk about business and enterprise in fresh, novel way through a monumental and iconic work, a collection of futuristic projects by one of the greatest geniuses the world has ever known, the father and forethinker of innovations in the broadest range of the arts and human knowledge: Leonardo da Vinci, symbol of Italian talent and ingenuity.

Confindustria, the largest association of manufacturing and service companies in Italy, is strongly committed to this first monographic exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Atlanticus in the United States as a way of contributing to the spread of entrepreneurial spirit as an impetus for economic, social and civil growth in all countries.

The extraordinary works on exhibit represent a concentration of messages and values to be gleaned and interpreted. There is nothing like art to arouse emotions that are universal, to dispel fear of the new and unknown and put people at the center.

Major companies are not based solely on talent, and no road to success is linear. The life of Leonardo itself is filled with surprises and failures, proof that genius alone is not enough—you need method, the ability to take risks and involve people and capture their imaginations. These are the ingredients that distinguish the best companies on the market. Those that have made Italy the no. 2 manufacturing country in Europe and seventh in the world.

And it is precisely thanks to the contribution of leading companies, emblematic of “being a success in Italy” which, together with us, have believed in the project you see here, the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci. Our partners: Intesa Sanpaolo, ITA Airways, 24 ORE Cultura, Dolce&Gabbana, Dompé, Trenitalia and Pirelli.

In this historic moment of major transformations in economic and geopolitical balances of power, and in the wake of a pandemic that severely impacted the entire globe, the exhibition we invite you to visit allows us to face the new challenges together, creating paths to growth and progress, and not only for the economy. An unprecedented opportunity for those who want to join us.

Carlo Bonomi

President of Confindustria

Chapter Two

In the mind of an Italian Genius

Leonardo da Vinci is universally recognized as an example of eclectic genius, emblematic of that iconic, timeless creativity that still today moves, inspires and thrills the entire world. This eclecticism is the heart and soul of Italian entrepreneurship, capable of blending rationality, creativity, technology and humanism and bringing to life products, processes and solutions that are unique anywhere in the world.

But what was the thought process of this Italian genius? How was able to make himself a driver for change and innovation? Unquestionably it started from what existed, challenging the limits audaciously and creatively, as the life and works of Leonardo show, letting himself be guided by something unique: his vision. The vision that ignited Leonardo when he conceived and transcribed on those sheets that would become the Codex Atlanticus, mechanisms and objects to make people’s lives easier, less arduous and more entertaining. The same thing that ignites entrepreneurs when, faced by some instance of inefficiency or void in the market, they intuit the opportunity for a major project. Leonardo’s philosophy, based on observation and experimentation, permeates the DNA of Italian entrepreneurship. The exhibition, IMAGINING THE FUTURE, is an invitation to think about these themes and how mankind can make use of the resources offered by the mind and ability to act to build a better world.

Discover Made in Italy

Pirelli: Ambassador of Art and Culture in the United States

Art, architecture and design. The bond between Pirelli and the United States can also be seen in the world of culture, from the Pirelli-branded works on display at MoMA through to the commingling of manufacturing and art in partnerships with internationally renowned architects and artists