The Pope inaugurated the exhibition 'AQVA', launching the five-year cycle 'Catastrophe and Wonder' at the Vatican Apostolic Library. The vice-prefect and commissioner of Exhibitions, Father Giacomo Cardinali, explained that the project invited three creatives of extraordinary talent to confront fears and discover unexpected horizons.
The exhibition reflects on water as an element that generates life and a destructive force, addressing the theme in the context of the global climate crisis. The journey dialogues with the institution's heritage through interventions by contemporary figures, featuring artist JR, typographer Bill Moran, and chef Fulvio Pierangelini.
The building's sixteenth-century facade hosts the monumental installation 'Diluvium', created by JR to evoke the vulnerability of knowledge and memory. The scientific core of the exhibition presents two copies of the work 'Aquatilium animalium historia', printed in 1557, and includes memories of the 1966 Florence flood, as well as dozens of historical recipes from various continents.
The project has the institutional collaboration of Fondazione Roma and Intesa Sanpaolo, opening to the public between September 25, 2026 and May 14, 2027.
