Genius: Da Vinci – On Tour.

Bringing Leonardo da Vinci’s genius to life through a multi-sensory, immersive journey across continents.

Information |

Phoenix Immersive Ltd. | 2022
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Florida, United States

360° Design, Multimedia, Curation, Motion Design, Space Design, Creative Coding, Show Direction

Introduction

How do you connect a Renaissance genius with today’s audiences in a way that feels relevant, emotional, and entirely immersive?

That was the creative challenge at the heart of Genius: Da Vinci – On Tour. From Berlin to Amsterdam to Florida, we helped bring Leonardo da Vinci’s world to life through a touring installation designed to engage all the senses. The experience invited visitors to step inside the mind of da Vinci, through a blend of interactive technology, cinematic storytelling, and tactile design.

Our mission: take da Vinci’s legacy beyond the museum, and create a space where his ideas feel as alive and inspiring today as they did five centuries ago.

Challenges

Telling the story of a historical figure as multifaceted as Leonardo da Vinci means navigating scale, tone, and complexity. The exhibition had to appeal to everyone from schoolchildren to art historians. It needed to feel authentic, yet future-facing. Emotional, but also educational.

At the same time, this was a touring installation, so flexibility and modularity were key. The design had to adapt to different venues, languages, and audiences across countries, while preserving a consistent story and sensory quality. And every version needed to feel like a full experience, not a scaled-down adaptation.

Solution

We created a layered, immersive journey that was both physical and digital. Visitors moved through an evolving space that included a dynamic pre-show area, cinematic projections, and a detailed replica of da Vinci’s studio. Inside the cube, atmospheric lighting, spatial sound, and authentic materials transported visitors into the heart of Leonardo’s world.

Each touchpoint was crafted to activate curiosity and interaction. Visitors could engage directly with da Vinci’s inventions, sketchbooks, and thought processes. In one highlight, an interactive AI-powered Mona Lisa acted as both guide and conversational companion, inviting people to explore questions around creativity, legacy, and innovation—on da Vinci’s terms.

The entire experience was designed to be modular and scalable, with adaptable media systems, easy-to-ship scenography, and localised content built into the core storytelling framework.

Results

The exhibition has become a travelling cultural experience that captivates diverse audiences, whether in a European museum or an American science centre. By making da Vinci’s brilliance tangible and emotionally engaging, the experience bridges centuries and disciplines, turning abstract legacy into lived experience.

It’s not just a retrospective. It’s a future-facing reimagining of one of history’s greatest minds, brought to life through immersive design and narrative craft.