DESIGN WEEK – Our tips for you – 1. Leonardo’s Horses

Design Week + the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death = 13 Leonardo’s horses!

Yes, during the most hectic week of the year in Milan, the famous Leonardo’s horse will be replicated in 13 scale reproductions, or rather reinterpretations made by nationally and internationally acclaimed artists.

The Leonardo Horse Project is part of Milan’s celebration programme for the anniversary of Leonardo’s death. The genius from Vinci was commissioned a huge sculpture by the Duke of Milan, Ludovico il Moro, in memory of his father Francesco. Of that sculpture, only the original sketches survived, and in 1999 american artist Nina Akamu cast a reproduction of it. Seven meters high, weighing 10 tons, Leonardo’s horse is one of the largest equine bronze sculpture in the world, and welcomes visitors to Milan’s hippodrome.

During the Design Week, the giant horse will be accompanied by its 13 replicas, made by designers such as Matteo Cibic and Markus Benesch and fashion designers such as Roberto Fragata. Colourful or kitsch, inspired by Native American culture or minimalistic, next week the 13 horses will be scattered around the city and placed in different Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic places, as a visual reminder of the coming opening day for the official celebrations, May 2nd. The day when Leonardo died 500 years ago.

Find more about Leonardo Horse Project, the history of Leonardo’s Horse and the 13 reinterpretations through a new and immersive experience provided by the free app.