Author: Marguerite Mangin
Late December 2018 Leonardo Team Update
A new Conference: ART BIO MATTERS 2018
The Leonardo Da Vinci DNA Project opened our eyes to the possibilities (inevitability!) of exciting new discoveries by integrating new tools of genetics, molecular biology, and microbiology into studies of art history and practices in conservation of cultural heritage. We were able to help arrange support for a joint project of the NYU Institute of Fine Arts and the Department of Scientific Research of the Metropolitan Museum of Art:
ART BIO MATTERS 2018 aims to assemble, for the first time, scientists, curators/art historians, and conservators for a stimulating forum to explore new directions in the study of biological materials in works of art. Through guided and balanced discussions, participants will identify connections between advanced DNA, mass-spectrometric, and antibody-based approaches and their own research questions, thereby, facilitating focused and mutually beneficial collaborations.
By many accounts, the conference 8-10 November 2018 was thrilling. The website has lots of great materials and leads. Congratulations to Julie Arslanoglu, Peggy Ellis, Tom Sakmar, Matthew Teasdale, and the emerging community at the interface of biology and art!
La Exposición: Leonardo da Vinci ‘Los rostros del genio’
November 30, 2018 – May 19, 2019
“Leonardo da Vinci: the faces of the genius,” an exhibition curated by our esteemed colleague in the Leonardo DNA Project, Christian Gálvez, opened in Madrid on 30 November.
Team members José Lorente and Ross King did participate in the opening conferences. The exhibition includes a special section about our search for Leonardo’s DNA. A 640-page catalog in Spanish and English is available.
Many Leonardo DNA Project team members visited it during the annual conference before it closed. Congratulations to Christian for the 150,000 visitors that have shaped Leonardo’s face during these past months in Madrid.