AQUA MATER by SEBASTIÃO SALGADO
Aqua Mater is an exhibition project that was prompted primarily by reflections on the state of our planet, focusing particularly on water, the element which makes the Earth unique in the universe and which is undergoing epoch-making change. Global warming and rising ocean levels, desertification and floods will force millions of people to alter their lives.
With this in mind, the great Sebastião Salgado has selected 42 black-and-white photographs focusing on the theme of water, printed in a large format and placed in a striking display, curated by Lélia Wanick Salgado. The photos were taken over the years in Brazil, Algeria, Antarctica, Mali, Alaska, India, Namibia, Italy and various other parts of the planet; they show nature and human life in relation to this essential element, as well as highlighting the link between the environmental crisis and social inequalities.
The exhibition will be open to the public specifically from 22 March 2024, World Water Day – promoted by UNESCO and held every year. The exhibition venue of the Palazzo Ducale in Genoa is the first international location to be chosen after the spectacular presentation in Paris, in a monumental bamboo pavilion under the Grande Arche in the La Défense district. The exhibition project also includes an immersive sound composition on the theme of water, specially created by François-Bernard Mâche of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, Paris. An audio guide with Sebastiao Sebastião's personal story and memories associated with the photographs on display will also be available to visitors. The exhibition also features a wide array of writings devoted to water: the Water Manifesto for the 21st Century, World Water Day 2024, an excerpt from Pope Francis's Encyclical Laudato Si', educational material from UNESCO, a poem by Pablo Neruda, a piece by Sebastião and Lélia Salgado and many other texts.
The exhibition is a major artistic event but also an extraordinary opportunity to explore one of the most topical environmental themes. There will be various educational initiatives on the subject for schools and families, in addition to a series of international meetings focusing on water and on the Anthropocene, curated by Telmo Pievani, with the participation of the curator and Andrea Rinaldo, winner of the Stockholm Water Prize 2023.
Aqua Mater is produced by the Fondazione di Palazzo Ducale in conjunction with Rjma Progetti culturali, Creation and SM-Art.
Radio Monte Carlo, Official Radio.
WATER
Mythological tales and poetic imagery often associate water with the cycle of human life.
Water is the most precious liquid on earth, indispensable for our existence.
The idea for this exhibition came from reflections on the state of our planet.
Global warming has become a threat to humanity and nature.
Glacial melting and the thermal expansion of sea water due to high temperatures cause ocean levels to rise inexorably, with devastating consequences for coastal communities and the environment.
Harmonious coexistence with the element of water and its protection are increasingly necessary for our survival and the preservation of the world's biodiversity.
Forests produce the phenomenon of evaporation, moisture which creates veritable "aerial rivers" that carry fresh water to different latitudes, thus reasserting the urgent need for their protection. Oceans, rivers, streams, lakes, waterfalls and rain are a vital part of the planet.
Water is essential for the human body, for the plants we eat, for biomes and for animal species. Attempting to portray the necessity, beauty, strength and mystery of water with images is no easy task, and there is the risk of falling into the commonplace or cliché.
In this exhibition, water appears in all its forms – in purity and intensity, abundance and scarcity – and it is captured in proud solitude or in its various interactions with man, fauna and flora, in a selection of photos that bring out its poetry and indispensable nature.
As the French thinker Gaston Bachelard (1884-1962) wrote in his essay Water and Dreams: “A drop of powerful water is enough to create a world and to dissolve the night. To dream of power, all that is needed is a drop imagined in depth. The water thus energized is a germ; it gives life an inexhaustible impetus”.
Sebastião Salgado
Lélia Wanick Salgado
Opening hours
open:
Tuesday - Sunday, 10 am – 7 pm
closed:
Mondays except public holidays or long weekends, from 10 am to 7 pm.
Ticket office
(audioguide included)
Open ticket € 13.00;
Full price € 12.00;
Reduced price € 10.00
groups of at least 10 people (+ free for a guide/companion);
over 65 years;
holders of tickets to the Aquarium of Genoa;
holders of tickets other current exhibitions at Palazzo Ducale;
friends of the Palazzo Ducale and the Ligurian Museums;
holders of Frecce and Intercity tickets to Genoa, subscribers and holders of regional transport tickets;
Card Artsupp holders;
holders Coop Liguria card;
Hotel voucher holders affiliated;
subscribers Teatro di Genova (Teatro Nazionale, Teatro della Tosse, GOG);
participants in the Great Conferences of Palazzo Ducale;
IREN employees with an escort;
ARCI members;
Ansaldo Foundation members;
Cral Ansaldo Fincantieri partners;
employees RINA.
Trenitalia Promotion
Entry for two people at the price of one (full rate) for holders of Frecce tickets to Genoa dated before a maximum of three days.
Reduced Card Ducale € 8,00
holders of the Ducal Membership Card+
Special reduced price € 5.00
Schools (+ 2 free for accompanying teachers);
Children from 6 to 18 years;
Disabled people (+1 free admission per companion);
Under 27 every Tuesday.
Free
under 6;
ICOM members;
accredited journalists;
certified tourist guides;
gift voucher.
Ticket sales will cease one hour before the exhibition’s closing time.
Presale online € 1,50
Presale for groups and schools € 1,50
