Tuesday, January 15th 6:00pm - Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago, 500 N Michigan Ave Suite 1450, Chicago, IL. Presented on the occasion of the 500th Anniversary of the Death of Leonardo da Vinci. The first of a series of lectures at the Italian Cultural Institute by Professor Giovanni Aloi (School of the Art Institute of Chicago)

Leonardo da Vinci’s ability to see beneath the surface of appearances laid the foundations of the modern world. From technology to art and science, Leonardo’s desire to discover and understand the secret workings of the natural world bore a deeply modern, existentialist tone to European culture. At times, Leonardo’s genius saw into the future and envisioned a functional world designed to better life. At others, he focused his efforts on dreaming up lethal war machines fine-tuned to eradicate it.