A visit to ArtScience Museum: Da Vinci: Shaping the Future

Leonardo da Vinci is possibly a man ahead of his time. I look up to him as he was not only a well-known artist, he was also a scientist. Several years ago, there was an exhibition, Da Vinci The Genius, held at the Science Centre Singapore. I remembered I was attracted to the art-related sections of that exhibition during a visit.

Currently, the exhibition entitled Da Vinci: Shaping the Future held at ArtScience Museum. Being drawn to learn more about Leonardo da Vinci, I made a special trip to the ArtScience Museum to catch this exhibition a week ago.

Da Vinci's designs for flying machines.
In this section, visitors can see Da Vinci's design for a parachute.

Da Vinci: Shaping the Future held at the ArtScience Museum will feature five different themes that represent Leonardo da Vinci as a multi-talented person during his life time. The five themes that are featured are: Mathematics, Natural Science, Architecture, Technology and Music.

A video on Da Vinci's The Last Supper.

The main focus of this exhibition at the ArtScience Museum is the Codex Atlanticus, Da Vinci's largest notebook.The Codex Atlanticus recorded innovative designs and stunning artistic sketches. These records reveal Da Vinci's ideas and how his thinking remains relevant even today. Visitors ought to take note that for the first time in Southeast Asia, 13 original pages from Da Vinci's Codex Atlanticus are presented in this exhibition. In Feb 2015, these 13 pages will be replaced by another set of 13 pages from the Codex Atlanticus. I was pretty intrigued by Da Vinci's talents to interweave the connections between different disciplines. What a genius he was.

Military designs.

It is very apt that Da Vinci: Shaping the Future is held at Singapore's ArtScience Museum which explores the intersection between art, science and technology.

My favourite section was the section on Technology. In this section, there are many interactive exhibits on display. I was fascinated with da Vinci's studies of mechanical tools and military equipment. Da Vinci's design demonstrated his understanding of the forces of Nature to solve daily practical issues.

Wall Protection System made based on sketches by Da Vinci.

In conjunction with this exhibition, there are a wide range of programmes and activities being organized. If time is limited, I recommend that visitors at least consider participating in one of the public guided tours to the exhibition. These public tours are complimentary to ticket holders for the exhibition. Each tour can take up to 25 visitors, on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is required 5 minutes before the start of the tour. The public guided tours are held at the following timings:

• English tour: Saturdays and Sundays from 22 Nov 2014: 11.30 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• English tour: Mondays to Fridays from 24 Nov 2014: 1 p.m.
• Mandarin tour: Saturdays and Sundays: 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

There are a number of interactive exhibits that will prove to be engaging for families. I was pretty engaged by the activities of making three-dimensional platonic solids out of two-dimensional cardboard.

2D to 3D Shapes: Platonic Solids

I am ambivalent about whether to recommend this exhibition. While there is an extensive number of interactive exhibits on display, a number of such exhibits have subsequently been classified as "do not touch" exhibits possibly due to the high volume of visitor-ship that has led to faster than expected tear-and-wear of many of these interactive exhibits. I suppose it helps to go for this exhibition with minimal expectation and an open mind.

This automatic drum is made by craftsmen to work.
Yet I remember that there is a "Please Do-Not-Touch" sign.
Hopefully the sign will preserve the exhibit for a longer period of time.

Then again, for anyone who is interested to get a glimpse of the ingenuity and innovative mind of Leonardo da Vinci, this exhibition will bring a lot of interesting design ideas if one is willing to spend hours and hours studying the records on the Codex Atlanticus rather intensively. Please bring along warm clothings to keep yourself warm. The air-conditioning at the exhibition halls can be pretty cold for some. If possible, the studious ones who are studying the records on the Codex Atlanticus could consider visiting the exhibition during non-peak hours.

Families with children will find this exhibition pretty fascinating and engaging if these families visit the exhibition and participate in the various interactive activities together as a family unit.

Da Vinci's Archimedes' Screw. This device can lift water from low to high ground.
One of the hands-on exhibit on display.

Da Vinci: Shaping the Future
ArtScience Museum
Marina Bay Sands
Operating hours: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. daily, including public holidays
Last admission at 6 p.m.
Please visit the Welcome to the Museum's page for notifications of ArtScience Museum closures.
Admission fee: $19 per adult for Singapore citizens (Please produce your identity card for verification.)
For more visitors' information, please visit: http://www.marinabaysands.com/museum/davinci.html

A visit to Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb

On a lovely afternoon in May 2013, I visited the exhibition Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb. This exhibition held at the ArtScience Museum showcases six mummies, including those of two animals (the cat and the ibis). The exhibition is presented through the collaboration of the British Museum and the ArtScience Museum.

The replica of the significant Rosetta Stone
As I walked into the exhibition, the replica of the Rosetta Stone reminded me of the Rosetta Stone in the British Museum. The Rosetta Stone is significant to Egyptology. It contains hieroglyphic scripts and holds a valuable key to the decipherment of hieroglyphs.

The mummy Nesperennub and the virtual unwrapping technology
The next part of the exhibition was visually extraordinary. Visitors like myself were presented with a three-dimensional documentary film of the virtual 3-D unwrap of the mummy of Nesperennub, an Egyptian temple priest who lived 3000 years ago. The virtual unwrapping technology allowed experts to see what is inside the mummy of Nesperennub without having to physically unwrap the mummy.

I have found it particularly interesting and well-focused that the storyline of the exhibition centred on Nesperennub and the world of priests. I learnt that Nesperennub was a fan-bearer. This was considered a very significant role because fan-bearer would have the privilege to be close to the Pharaohs.

Another interesting artefact in this exhibition is the reconstructed copy of Nesperennub's head. Stereolithography was used to construct the head. The model of the reconstructed head of Nesperennub was presented with a shaven head. I learnt that it was a common practice for priests from ancient Egyptian to have their heads shaved.

At the end of the exhibition, visitors could see the mummy of Nesperennub. I was in awe to see it. I was particularly fascinated with the elaborate designs that were on the painted cartonnage case.

Ancient Egyptian's beliefs and practices
During my visit to the exhibition, I learnt more about the religious beliefs behind the funeral practices of the ancient Egyptians. The ancient Egyptians believe in life after death. I was intrigued by the process of mummification. In conjunction with the exhibition, there will be complimentary workshops on embalming for ticket holders during the weekends and selected dates in June. I missed the embalming workshops. Nevertheless, I managed to learn that the embalming process would take approximately 70 days to complete.

The Wedjat Eye Amulet was one of the small-sized artefacts that had caught my interest. This amulet is associated with the god, Horus. This is a protective amulet that is believed to have healing and protective powers. As photography was not allowed in the exhibition, I gladly sketched the various artefacts that had caught my interest onto my notebook.

From my sketches, you could probably guess it that other than being interested in the Cat Mummy, I was pretty intrigued by the canopic jars that bore the faces of the the Four sons of Horus, namely Imsety, Hapy, Duamutef and Qebhsenuef. The canopic jars contain the internal organs of the mummy.

Suggestions to enhance our visitor's experience to this exhibition
I strongly recommend visitors to attend the complimentary guided tour. The audio guide that can be rented at a fee of $3 is also a very useful companion that would enrich a visitor's experience to this exhibition.

To enhance the experience, it is also strongly recommended that visitors who visit this exhibition as a family could engage in a specially-designed quest. The quest bags for this activity could be collected at the Activity Quest booth found on the same level as the exhibition galleries. Simply bring along a photo identification card  to rent one of these quest bags.

Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb reminded me of the exhibition Eternal Egypt: Treasures From the British Museum which I had visited at the Asian Civilisations Museum in 1999. That exhibition also presented artefacts from the British Museum's collection. If you ask me, thanks to the spacious size of the gallery spaces of the ArtScience Museum and the interesting storyline behind this exhibition, I prefer Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb. 

Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb
27 Apr - 4 Nov 2013
ArtScience Museum
10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956
Opening hours: 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. (Last admission at 9.00 p.m.)
Website: http://www.marinabaysands.com/Singapore-Museum

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Also read:
Finding out mummy's little secrets by Jerome Lim
Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb by Benedicta J. Foo
Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb Uncovered by littledayout.com
Mummy Secrets of the Tomb Exhibition at the ArtScence Museum by Hpility.sg
Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb by Laura Freeman