Blume Studios hosts North American premiere of Leonardo versus Michelangelo: The Epic Battle of Genius

CHARLOTTE, NC – Blumenthal Arts, in partnership with Barcelona-based Layers of Reality, will present the North American premiere of Leonardo versus Michelangelo: The Epic Battle of Genius beginning Nov. 12, running through March 27, 2027 at Blume Studios. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 18 at www.BlumenthalArts.org.

The presentation marks the beginning of an ongoing partnership with Layers of Reality, the creative force behind Barcelona’s internationally acclaimed IDEAL Digital Arts Center, bringing the European studio’s highly acclaimed experiential productions to Blume Studios beginning this fall and continuing through 2027.

“This partnership gives Charlotte a direct connection to one of the most innovative immersive arts organizations in the world, and allows us to build something that can last here,” said Tom Gabbard, CEO and President of Blumenthal Arts. “Layers of Reality selected Blume Studios as its first major North American home, and that is a significant vote of confidence in our organization, our city and what we can create together.”

For the production’s North American debut, Blume Studios’ 32,000-square-foot Stage One will be transformed into an immersive experience combining 360-degree projection, exhibition design, theatrical storytelling, interactive galleries, virtual reality and a metaverse environment.

Set against the artists’ historic 1503 rivalry, when Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were commissioned to create competing murals for the Hall of the Five Hundred in Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio, the experience brings their lives, creative processes and artistic legacies to life through physical and digital environments. More than 500 years later, visitors are invited to step into the world of two Renaissance masters, weigh in on their rivalry, and cast votes throughout the exhibition, building toward a final decision in “The Moment of Truth.”

The 90-minute experience unfolds across eight distinct rooms, including:

• An Eternal Rivalry: Introduces the artists and the competition that brought them together in Florence.
• Florence 1500: A 360-degree virtual reality experience transports visitors to Renaissance Florence, where they can explore the artists’ studios, walk through the city and enter the Hall of the Five Hundred.
• Contrasting Biographies: Inspired by Renaissance “studiolos,” the room explores the artists’ lives, development and work through physical and digital elements.
• Battle Royale: A metaverse environment allows visitors to explore a virtual museum at full scale, viewing masterpieces up close before choosing which works to save or condemn.
• The Moment of Truth: Visitors submit their final vote for Team Leonardo or Team Michelangelo.

The partnership builds on Blumenthal Arts’ history of bringing immersive experiences to Charlotte. In 2021, Blumenthal became the second U.S. city and first nonprofit organization to present Immersive Van Gogh, transforming the city’s historic Ford Building for the production.

“Our ambition has always been to create experiences that do more than entertain; they should spark curiosity, encourage learning and bring people together through culture and technology,” said Jordi Sellas i Ferrés, founder and artistic director of IDEAL Barcelona and CEO of Layers of Reality. “Leonardo Versus Michelangelo perfectly reflects that philosophy by combining history, art, immersive technology and active audience participation into a single experience. We searched carefully for the right partner to introduce this vision to North America, and we found that partner in Blumenthal Arts. Together, we are creating a model that we believe will redefine how cultural experiences are shared around the world.”

For more information, visit blumenthalarts.org/visit/blume-studios. Individual adult tickets start at $23 and are available at www.BlumenthalArts.org.

MORE ABOUT BLUME STUDIOS

Blume Studios is where art, technology, and community converge. This creative hub from Blumenthal Arts hosts everything from major immersive experiences from around the world to locally created multimedia events and shows. The studio environment provides the expansive, flexible spaces needed to support current and new forms of entertainment that haven’t yet been dreamed of. Located in Charlotte’s Iron District, Blume Studios continues the legacy of Charlotte Pipe and Foundry, which for more than a century was home to talented and hardworking craftsmen. A new generation of creative workers will make Blume Studios a nationally acclaimed destination where every show is unique and every visit is special. For more information, visit blumenthalarts.org.

 

ABOUT IDEAL BARCELONA

IDEAL Barcelona is the first digital arts center in Southern Europe, with 2,000 square meters dedicated to exhibition, production, and education in this field. It is a digital culture space that explores the possibilities of immersion through audiovisual projections, augmented reality, virtual reality, and holography, creating new ways to experience art and connect it with contemporary society. The iconic building housing IDEAL opened in 1917 as Cinema Ideal, one of Barcelona’s most prominent neighborhood cinemas. In 1985, it was converted into a television studio, hosting emblematic Catalan TV programs and series. Finally, in October 2019, it reopened as a digital arts center, giving new life to the space with an innovative approach. Its programming has included major immersive productions such as MONET, THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE; BARCELONA PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY, featuring works by Català-Roca, Maspons, Biarnés, Pomés, Miserachs, and Colita; KLIMT: THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE; FRIDA KAHLO, THE LIFE OF A MYTH; PERICOT, ART EXPANDIT; DALÍ CYBERNETIC; TUTANKHAMUN: THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE; JULES VERNE 200; and PIONEERS. 125 YEARS OF CATALAN FOOTBALL, in collaboration with the Catalan Football Federation. In contemporary creation, IDEAL began with POETIC ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE by the renowned digital art studio OUCHHH. During its first years, it hosted initiatives such as the weekly sessions of the MIRA.mov festival, immersive concerts in collaboration with the SÓNAR festival, and launched projects like XR EDU, focused on augmented reality and education in partnership with UPC, and XRdocs, the world’s first festival dedicated to immersive documentary, in collaboration with UPF.

 

ABOUT LAYERS OF REALITY

Layers of Reality is a European studio based in Barcelona specializing in extended reality content and immersive experiences. Its productions have been experienced by more than 10 million visitors worldwide, with projects presented in cities including London, Paris, Berlin, Singapore, Sydney, Beijing, Buenos Aires and Mexico City. In 2019, it inaugurated its flagship creation and exhibition center, IDEAL Barcelona; in March 2022, it opened MAD (Madrid Digital Arts) at Matadero Madrid together with SOM PRODUCE and STARDUST INTERNATIONAL; and in March 2024, it launched BOMBAS GENS, Digital Arts Center in Valencia. Some of the most notable productions by Layers of Reality include KLIMT: THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE (with Exhibition Hub), FRIDA KAHLO, THE LIFE OF A MYTH (with Frida Kahlo Corp.), DALÍ CYBERNETIC (with the Gala Salvador Dalí Foundation), THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII, TUTANKHAMUN: THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE, and THE LEGEND OF THE TITANIC (with Madrid Digital Arts), SOROLLA, A NEW DIMENSION, JULES VERNE 200, and UNIVERSO GOYA. BETWEEN LIGHT AND DARKNESS, many of which are currently on display worldwide.

FOR IMAGES OR INTERVIEW REQUESTS, CONTACT TAYLOR MUMMA: 919.830.1580; taylor@rachelsutherland.net