Step into a Renaissance art rivalry in Charlotte's Blume Studios
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Charlotte hosts the North American premiere of "Leonardo versus Michelangelo: The Epic Battle of Genius" starting Thursday at Blume Studios.
Why it matters: People can experience the works of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo at a massive scale without leaving town.
Context: Layers of Reality created the experience in Barcelona over roughly two years, CEO Jordi Sellas i Ferrés tells Axios. Now it's about introducing it to American audiences.
- An exhibition like this cannot be produced just anywhere, Sellas i Ferrés tells Axios. Blume Studios had the right team and infrastructure in place to host "Leonardo versus Michelangelo."
What to expect: Visitors navigate seven rooms, learning about the historic rivalry between the two renowned artists and voting on their favorite artist in each room. Their work during the Renaissance also encompassed engineering and city design, Sellas i Ferrés tells Axios.
- You'll step into the early 16th century, when the artists were commissioned to create works for the Hall of the Five Hundred in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy.
- The 90-minute experience includes two virtual reality segments, exhibit space and massive projections. For the latter, it may feel similar if you visited "Immersive Van Gogh."
The big picture: Blumenthal Arts' creation of Blume Studios stems from when it brought "Immersive Van Gogh" to Camp North End in 2021. The organization's shift toward immersive experiences stems from the pandemic, Blumenthal Arts CEO Tom Gabbard tells Axios.
- "When it wasn't possible to be in our theaters, 'Immersive Van Gogh' gave me a path to get 200 people back to work," Gabbard says.
- Profits from "Immersive Van Gogh" were put into creating Blume Studios, in which they've invested about $4.5 million between equipment and building restrooms, Gabbard says.
- The key has been to make everything in Blume Studios mobile, which Gabbard says is different from the traditional arts model of creating purpose-built facilities and you're there forever.
Yes, and: Blumenthal Arts has also seen new audiences flocking to Blume Studios. Anywhere from 40% to 60% of people are new ticket buyers, Gabbard says.
The bottom line: People crave what Gabbard calls "communal experiences."
- "Sometimes in the technology and all of that, it gets lost that people are seeking out these things because they're looking for these opportunities to do things with other people."
If you go: "Leonardo versus Michelangelo" runs Thursday through March 27. Tickets start at $23. Blume Studios is at 904 Post St.
