designboom · Creativity & design

JR's 'Diluvium' Installation at Vatican Apostolic Library

Artist JR has unveiled 'Diluvium,' a large-scale wave installation on the Vatican Apostolic Library facade, opening the AQVA exhibition.

The 70-meter installation, unveiled Sept 14, 2026, depicts a wave inspired by Doré's biblical flood illustration. It launches the library's 'Catastrophe and Wonder' cycle.

JR stated the library fears water, symbolizing the potential loss of preserved knowledge. The artwork visually represents this vulnerability.

The wave also symbolizes climate change, political polarization, and AI, transforming a historical image into a contemporary statement.

The AQVA exhibition explores water's dual role in destruction and preservation, using library collections and contemporary art.

Pope Leo XIV inaugurated the exhibition, which runs Sept 25, 2026, to May 14, 2027.

JR's 'Diluvium' visually emphasizes the fragility of stored knowledge.

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