Inauguration of “We live in painting” at LACMA featuring the multimedia installation “MagicLens CodexCospi”

Sept. 18th 2024 through Sept. 1st, 2025

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), USA

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has opened the exhibition “We Live in Painting. The Nature of Color in Mesoamerican Art”, an immersive exploration of Mesoamerican color, art, and science, co-curated by Diana Magaloni, Davide Domenici and Alyce De Carteret. Within the section “The Science of Color”, visitors can experience the interactive multimedia installation “MagicLens CodexCospi”, developed by CNR ISPC as part of the PRIN KNOT project in partnership with the University of Bologna and Sapienza University of Rome.

The “MagicLens” offers an augmented-reality–based exploration of three pages of the Codex Cospi, allowing users to highlight details, miniatures, and hidden layers simply by moving their hand over the projected surface, thanks to a Leap Motion sensor. Designed with full digital accessibility in mind, its interface provides an intuitive and inclusive user experience.

The installation incorporates the results of scientific analyses carried out since 2005 through the MOLAB mobile laboratory of E-RIHS. These investigations revealed differences in pigments and palettes between the obverse and reverse sides of the Codex—painted in different periods and regions—including the use of organic dyes, orpiment, and various tonalities of Maya blue.

As part of its broader goals, the KNOT project foresees new MOLAB campaigns and additional diagnostic examinations on various objects of the Indigenous American heritage preserved in Italy — including further analyses of the Codex Cospi itself. These studies aim to deepen understanding of materials, techniques, and conservation histories, while supporting new modes of digital visualization and storytelling.