The ongoing collaboration between Cassa Depositi e Prestiti and the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology in Milan, which began in 2022 with the aim of promoting science among younger generations, is growing stronger.
To date, the partnership has involved over 5,000 students and 200 teachers in programmes that make STEAM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) more accessible.
In the partnership’s first year, the focus was on music with the creation of Cave of Sound by Tim Murray-Browne, an art installation that allowed students to experiment with new forms of expression through the development of sound in a collaborative and engaging atmosphere at a cognitive, physical and emotional level. The work, on display until 22 October 2023, features elements that combine play and fun with a creative exploration of music and technology that is then extended at school and through thematic workshops with the artist.
Colour, meanwhile, is the theme that runs through Kaleidoscope by Karina Smigla-Bobinski, which was presented on Saturday 11 November and will be on public display until October 2024. This interactive work of art combines analogue and digital, connecting technology with art to reflect on our perception of colour. It consists of a lightbox that contains layers of red, green and blue ink to simulate a large palette, where each touch generates new combinations of shapes and colours. It all comes to life thanks to the actions of the participants who, using the pressure of their hands, create different visual landscapes each time.
CDP’s collaboration also made it possible to organise two workshops by Karina Smigla-Bobinski, during which the artist met with and suggested activities to teachers, students and museum visitors.
In addition to the artist, the Kaleidoscope presentation event was attended by, among others, the Museum’s General Director, Fiorenzo Maria Galli, and the Director of Communications for External Relations and Sustainability at CDP, Marco Santarelli.
The work is part of Digital Aesthetics, the Museum's permanent programme of digital art installations, which reflects on new expressive languages and the links between research, technological innovations and creative artistic processes.