Leonardo versus Michelangelo. The Duel of Renaissance Geniuses - a new immersive exhibition at Art Box Experience

From 13 February, Art Box Experience at Norblin Factory in Warsaw will present “Leonardo versus Michelangelo. The Duel of Renaissance Geniuses” - an immersive experience dedicated to two outstanding creators of the Renaissance who forever shaped European art and the way we think about humanity. The exhibition is the largest and most technologically advanced production by Layers of Reality, combining art, history, sound and image into a multisensory narrative. It is the first project of its kind in Poland to present, in a modern and engaging format, not only their artistic achievements but also the rivalry, ambition and contrasting worldviews they represented.

Five hundred years later, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo meet again - not within the walls of Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio, but in a multidimensional narrative created using the latest visual technologies.

The exhibition tells the story of an extraordinary dialogue - and at times rivalry - between Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Both lived at the same time, worked for the same patrons and grappled with similar questions about human nature, beauty and the meaning of creation, yet they answered them in radically different ways. Leonardo was an artist of intellect and observation - fascinated by anatomy, movement, light and the mechanics of the world. Michelangelo built his visions through tense, emotion-filled bodies that became vessels of drama. The immersive format allows visitors to enter these two distinct visions of the Renaissance and experience them not only intellectually, but emotionally as well.

The show was created by the renowned international studio Layers of Reality, producers of acclaimed immersive projects presented in more than 50 cities worldwide. The project achieved great success at IDEAL Barcelona, attracting thousands of visitors and earning critical acclaim. The exhibition represents the largest and most innovative production in the studio’s history.

“We are delighted to present another exceptional exhibition at Art Box Experience and to once again collaborate with Layers of Reality. After exhibitions dedicated to Salvador Dalí and Frida Kahlo, we now invite audiences not only to explore art history, but also to discover the lives of two masters who were ahead of their time and forever changed the way we think about the artist and artistic creation,” says Joanna Sikora-Kowalkowska, CEO of Art Box Experience.

The inspiration for the exhibition is an authentic event from 1503 - the legendary artistic duel in which Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were commissioned to create competing frescos for the seat of the Florentine government, the Palazzo Vecchio. The exhibition invites visitors to relive this rivalry and actively participate in a narrative whose outcome depends on their individual choice.

“Following the success in Barcelona, we are truly delighted to present this project in Poland as well and to continue our collaboration with Art Box Experience. The Warsaw edition, combining technological precision with a strong commitment to historical accuracy, allows visitors to step into the realities of that era and truly feel the spirit of this legendary rivalry,” emphasizes Olga Alekseeva, Director of Strategy at Layers of Reality.

A journey through the Renaissance - eight rooms of immersive experience

Across eight rooms spanning a total of 800 m², visitors immerse themselves in the world of the Renaissance through monumental 2D and 3D projections, immersive films, interactive installations and a 360° virtual reality experience. The visit begins with a symbolic entrance portal inspired by Renaissance architecture, introducing visitors to the humanist thought of the era. In the first room, guests encounter the Renaissance as a turning point - a time when art, science and technology began to intertwine, and the artist became an individual and a cultural hero.

Subsequent biographical rooms present the lives and works of both masters. Projections and panels in Polish and English provide insight into their artistic paths, historical context and working techniques. The exhibition is complemented by scenographic elements and presentations of Renaissance workshops, demonstrating how innovation emerges from experiment and craftsmanship.

Particular attention is drawn to the “studioli” - the artists’ studios. Leonardo da Vinci’s studio portrays him as a visionary, researcher and inventor fascinated by anatomy, mechanics and nature. Michelangelo’s studio focuses on his work with matter and the human body - monumental forms, muscular tension and the physicality of sculpture.

A distinctive feature of the exhibition is an installation inspired by the Bocca della Verità - the Mouth of Truth - referencing the ancient marble mask located in the Roman church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Known from legend as a medieval “lie detector” and from the iconic scene in Roman Holiday, the mask serves here as a symbolic narrator. The Mouth of Truth “utters” short sentences about Leonardo and Michelangelo – surprising facts, anecdotes and reflections that reveal the artists as complex individuals full of contradictions, ambition and sensitivity. Visitors receive a parchment bearing a “truth” about one of the masters - a personal keepsake and fragment of the story to take home. It is a symbolic gesture, echoing the Renaissance understanding of truth as a process of discovery rather than a fixed judgment.

At the heart of the exhibition is an immersive room where image, sound and movement create a multisensory experience, placing visitors at the very center of the artistic duel. Another space offers a 360° VR experience transporting audiences to 16th-century Florence and into the masters’ studios.

The finale belongs to the visitors - in the final room they can cast their vote, choosing between Team Leonardo and Team Michelangelo. This symbolic gesture highlights the active role of the audience and encourages reflection on the essence of creativity and the different paths leading to knowledge and self-realization. The exhibition does not aim to decide who was better, but rather invites contemplation on which way of thinking, feeling and creating resonates most with contemporary audiences. It also demonstrates how diverse forms genius can take. After making their choice, visitors may capture the moment with a commemorative photo alongside their chosen master - as if standing, for a brief moment, on one side of a great Renaissance dialogue.

“This exhibition shows that questions about genius, the limits of knowledge and the relationship between humans and technology are just as relevant today as they were five centuries ago. Immersion allows us to see the Renaissance not as a closed chapter of history, but as a living dialogue with the present,” says Andrzej Dragan, professor of physics, artist and science communicator.

An integral part of the project is an extensive educational program designed for preschools, primary and secondary schools. The original educational lessons, developed around the exhibition’s immersive narrative, allow students to explore the Renaissance through experience, observation and active interpretation of artworks. The program focuses on the lives and works of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, presenting their achievements within the broader cultural transformations of the era and highlighting the continued relevance of Renaissance ideas in contemporary art and science.

Classes are divided into age groups and adapted to participants’ levels of perception. The youngest children (preschool and grades 1-3) discover the world of art through storytelling, movement and play. Students in grades 4-8 analyze the contrasting artistic approaches of Leonardo and Michelangelo and explore everyday life in the 16th century. Secondary school students participate in debate-based and analytical sessions reflecting on the concept of genius, humanism and the role of the artist as intellectual and visionary.

The lessons are complemented by worksheets, art materials and original visual narrative tools that support interpretation and independent reasoning. All activities are aligned with the core curriculum of the Polish Ministry of Education and constitute a valuable extension of history, literature, art history and philosophy classes. The Art Box Experience educational program demonstrates that immersion can become an effective teaching tool, combining knowledge, emotion and experience into a cohesive and engaging whole.

Valentine’s Day in the world of the Renaissance

The day after the premiere, on 14 February, a special evening guided tour will take place at 7 PM. The Valentine’s event will present love as one of the most powerful creative forces of the Renaissance - inspiring, provocative and boundary-breaking. The narrative will combine analysis of artworks with stories of relationships and emotions that shaped the creativity of Leonardo and Michelangelo. The Renaissance was an era in which love, fascination and tension were as significant as intellect and technique. For Leonardo da Vinci, love meant curiosity about the world and a tender observation of nature. For Michelangelo, it was drama, struggle and passion embodied in the human form. The evening tour offers an intimate and reflective experience, allowing visitors to pause at selected works, listen to the artists’ own words - their thoughts, notes and quotations – and see the Renaissance not as a distant era, but as a mirror in which we can still recognize ourselves.

The exhibition “Leonardo versus Michelangelo. The Duel of Renaissance Geniuses” demonstrates that immersion is not an alternative to encountering original works of art, but rather a narrative and educational tool. It enables deeper understanding of context, creative process and artistic intention, offering contemporary audiences an engaging, multisensory and intellectually enriching experience. It is an invitation to enter the world of the Renaissance as a still-living era-one that continues to pose questions about human nature, the meaning of art, and the role of emotions that remain relevant even after five centuries.

More information: www.artboxexperience.com
Tickets available online via Going and Ticketmaster, and at the exhibition ticket desk.

Exhibition dates: 13.02.2026 - 14.06.2026
Location: Norblin Factory, 51/53 Żelazna Street, Level +2, Plater Building

Mon-Thu: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM (last entry 7:00 PM)
Fri: 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM (last entry 8:00 PM)
Sat: 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM (last entry 8:00 PM)
Sun: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM (last entry 7:00 PM)

Weekday promotion (Mon-Fri, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM): Good Morning, Culture! - regular individual ticket: 40 PLN.

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