Smithsonian Magazine · People & society

Vatican Library Launches Water-Themed Art Exhibition for Pope's Birthday

Pope Leo XIV has inaugurated a new art exhibition at the Vatican Apostolic Library to celebrate his 71st birthday. The exhibition, "AQVA: Catastrophe and Wonder," explores the dual nature of water through contemporary art and historical texts.

The exhibition, running from September 25 to May 14, is the first in a five-year series focusing on threats to the written word. It aims to encourage in-person engagement with the library's collections, emphasizing the value of physical presence and intellectual exchange.

A 230-foot sculpture by JR, depicting a crashing wave, adorns the library's facade, symbolizing biblical floods and contemporary crises like climate change and AI. The artist noted the library's fear of water as a metaphor for the potential loss of civilization's memory.

Inside, the exhibition features two copies of Ippolito Salviani's 470-year-old treatise on marine life, alongside other ancient artifacts, manuscripts, and prints related to aquatic themes.

Artist Bill Moran contributes "LetterFish," a collection of creatures made from typographic symbols, while chef Fulvio Pierangelini presents gastronomic narratives alongside historical cookbooks from the Vatican's archives.

The library also announced an expansion project to accommodate its growing manuscript collection.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.