Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was a man renowned for being a polymath who lived during the High Renaissance, the period in history which spanned arguably between 1490 and 1527 when there was exceptional boom of the arts in Rome, then the capital city of the Papal States. Though famously known for the Mona Lisa, Leonardo was definitely more than that. He was a man of various talents, being a painter, sculptor, scientist, architect and engineer, all at the same time, among others.

Leonardo left so much imprint, so much so that not only the academe is interested in propagating his legacy. Popular culture has a hand in making his name well-known to many, so much so that Leonardo remains a reference point even with the dawn of high-end technology such as artificial intelligence, or AI.

Between August and December 2023, Leonardo was featured in an immersive AI exhibit designed by Ouchhh, an art collective company from Turkey, in partnership with BGC Immersive, held in a gallery in One Bonifacio High Street Mall. The AI exhibit was a lights-and-sounds exhibition taken a notch higher, as the spectator is actually immersed in the world of the exhibit itself, allowing for an out-of-dimension experience.

Lasting for more or less an hour, the experience was divided into three parts. We were first welcomed in the Curator’s Lobby where there were vinyl signages showing some highlights of the works of Leonardo. There was also a mirror booth for picture taking.

Soon after spending time with the stills, we were led to the first among many of the experiential visual displays which gave a sense of being in a dimension altogether. It was showing lights moving in a pattern, dancing in a mesmerizing choreography in pink to purple hues.

A few minutes more and the show has begun. A three-dimensional audio-visual kickstarted the immersive show, giving a background on Leonardo da Vinci’s life and genius. In keeping with the theme of arts and science, the Curator’s Lobby likewise featured works of other scientists and artists, including Filipino ones.

The next part of the exhibit was dubbed Digital Garden of Dreams.

There were four parts in the Digital Garden of Dreams. One was inspired by Leonardo’s study of the human body in what seemed to be a harmoniously choreographed representation of cells. There was then an exploration of space, reminiscent of Leonardo’s contributions in the field of astronomy. The third part was the most experiential, to say the least, focusing on the visual representation of music and harmony, with a live violinist playing while projections are shown. Finally, there was a homage to Filipino artists, showing art pieces from the portfolio of Juan Luna, though I unfortunately was not able to take photos of the last one as I got absorbed by the experience.

The third and final part of the exhibit focused on the master himself: The Wisdom of Da Vinci.

The main attraction featured the artworks of Leonardo, the brushstrokes from which were the ones used by AI to generate the patterns of the streaking lights of shapes and colors projected in 3D. It also featured Leonardo’s invention sketches, alongside with the works of other giants in the arts, like Michelangelo, Raphael and Van Gogh, among others.

Towards the end of the exhibition was basically a free time where the guests just moved around, either to take photos or just sit idly, appreciating the colorful show of lights.

Well, we did both at the same time.

Apart from being a new experience for us both, the immersive AI exhibit made us fascinated with the incredible power of today’s technology. The almost 600–year gap between Leonardo’s life span and today’s artificial intelligence did not serve as hindrance for the two to meet and converge: an exhibition of advance technology featuring a man from antiquity, yet who during his time was well advanced in his own right. We brought these thoughts with us as we leave One Bonifacio High Street Mall.

It was already late in the afternoon when the show finished. We haven’t taken anything yet, as we left home before lunch. We walked along the posh streets of BGC, and found a spot where Pasada, a food truck, was parked. It was serving native Filipino dishes at an affordable price. That definitely works for us.

It was just around 04:00 PM, but the meal we ate would be our early dinner—a very early one at that. After our immersion with Leonardo da Vinci through AI, it was then time to immerse ourselves to something very close to the hearts of the Filipino culture.

From BGC, we then headed off to McKinley Hill. It was December, and it would be our first time see a Christmas Parade.