Immersive Arts Laboratory opens in downtown São Paulo with works by Da Vinci

One of the most ambitious cultural ventures in Latin America opens today, May 6, in São Paulo: the VISUALFARM GYMNASIUM, the first permanent immersive arts laboratory on the continent. Created by the Visualfarm studio — a national reference in the convergence of art and technology —, the space occupies an area of 2,200 m² between the neighborhoods of Santa Cecília and Barra Funda, and proposes itself as a creative center focused on the development of sensory narratives through projections, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, scenography, aromas and digital lights. Inspired by international initiatives such as Atelier des Lumières (Paris), teamLab Borderless (Tokyo) and Frameless (London), the Gymnasium integrates São Paulo into the global immersive art circuit. More than just an exhibition space, the complex is a true platform for artistic experimentation, housing a digital planetarium, bar, observation decks, recreational areas, AI photo booths, performance spaces and even a scenic slide that is part of the immersive architecture. The large 1,500 m² hall with a 13-meter ceiling height functions as a highly complex stage box, equipped with sound and light systems that can be controlled by a few commands, which allows for constant changes in the environment. An additional area of almost 1,000 m² houses physical installations, interactive experiences and research spaces.

The inaugural exhibition — an immersive reinterpretation of the life and work of Leonardo da Vinci — presents the public with a multisensory spectacle that transforms the exhibition space into a theater of inventions and ideas. Robots, holograms, sculptures, tactile replicas and monumental projections interact with virtual reality content and immersive soundtracks. A 16-meter-diameter dome reproduces the artist's creative brain, transforming itself into a stage for images, sounds and mobile structures inspired by Leonardo's own contraptions. The narrative, conducted chronologically, invites visitors to walk through mezzanines, take breaks in integrated cafés and bars, and access different levels of immersion — from sensory enjoyment to in-depth listening with headphones.
With access via Olavo Bilac Square and curated by a multidisciplinary team, Visualfarm Gymnasium emerges as a landmark in the Brazilian cultural landscape. By combining technological innovation, aesthetic sophistication and narrative freedom, the project proposes a new way of experiencing exhibitions, where art, science and sensitivity converge to create unique experiences. The Leonardo da Vinci exhibition kicks off the program, which will feature exhibitions on astronomy and the Amazon rainforest throughout the year, consolidating the space as a meeting point for creativity, knowledge and technology.
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