The AQVA Exhibition Between Art and Nature
From September 25, 2026, to May 14, 2027, the Vatican Apostolic Library presents AQVA, an exhibition exploring water as both a source of life and a destructive force. Among the protagonists are artist JR, with a monumental installation on the Library’s façade, typographer Bill Moran and chef Fulvio Pierangelini.
Water as the origin of life, but also as an element capable of threatening cultural heritage and collective memory. This is the central theme of AQVA, the new exhibition at the Vatican Apostolic Library, opening on September 25, 2026, and running until May 14, 2027.
The exhibition inaugurates Catastrophe and Wonder, a five-year programme that brings the Library’s historical collections into dialogue with contemporary artistic languages. Through ancient manuscripts, books, engravings and artistic interventions, the exhibition invites visitors to reflect on the relationship between humanity, nature and knowledge.
Three creative figures from different disciplines explore the theme of water: French artist JR, typographer Bill Moran and chef Fulvio Pierangelini.
The exhibition is curated by Don Giacomo Cardinali, Simona De Crescenzo, Francesca Giannetto and Delio Proverbio, in institutional collaboration with Fondazione Roma and with the support of Intesa Sanpaolo.
JR, Diluvium, 12 settembre 2026, 07h18 (2026; Vaticano) © JR
AQVA: An Exhibition Exploring Water Between Catastrophe and Wonder
Catastrophe and Wonder was conceived to explore the threats that have endangered the preservation of books and manuscripts throughout history. Water, fire, light, insects and human intervention become the starting points for examining the fragility of memory and the importance of protecting it.
The first chapter, AQVA, focuses on water, an essential element for survival that can also become a powerful destructive force. This contradiction is particularly relevant in today’s world, marked by the climate crisis and environmental change.
The exhibition guides visitors through different interpretations of water, combining history, science, art and culture. Beginning with water as a potential threat, the exhibition gradually moves towards a perspective that celebrates its creative and regenerative power.
JR, Diluvium, Vatican, 2026 © JR
JR and Diluvium: A Monumental Installation at the Vatican Library
Visitors are welcomed by Diluvium, a monumental installation by artist JR, created for the sixteenth-century façade of the Vatican Apostolic Library.
The installation symbolically transforms the building into a scene dominated by the power of water, introducing the exhibition’s central theme: the vulnerability of knowledge in the face of natural forces.
Through his distinctive visual language, characterized by large-scale interventions in public spaces, JR encourages reflection on the fragility of cultural institutions and the importance of preserving historical memory.
The artist has created two site-specific installations specifically designed for the Library, establishing a dialogue between historical architecture and contemporary art.
Following the installation on the façade, the exhibition continues inside the building, where contemporary artworks interact with manuscripts and documents preserved in the Vatican collections.
JR, Catastrofe e Meraviglia – AQVA, ph.Olivia Rainaldi.
From Ancient Manuscripts to Bill Moran’s Marine Creatures
One of the central works in the exhibition is Aquatilium animalium historia, a treatise on fish published in 1557 by physician and naturalist Ippolito Salviani.
This Renaissance publication forms the starting point for a selection of manuscripts, printed books, engravings and objects from the Vatican collections, illustrating the relationship between water, knowledge and imagination throughout the centuries.
The exhibits include Apicius’s De re coquinaria, the travel accounts of Giovanni Battista Ramusio, ancient marine bestiaries and numismatic objects associated with the aquatic world.
Bill Moran reinterprets this historical heritage through a contemporary visual language with his Letterfishes: marine creatures created by combining letters, numbers and typographic symbols.
His compositions transform printed characters into images, establishing a connection between the world of books and the natural environment. This encounter between traditional typography and visual experimentation enriches the dialogue between past and present.
Catastrofe e Meraviglia – AQVA, Aqvatilivm animalivm historiae by Ippolito Salviani, ph.Olivia Rainaldi.
Catastrofe e Meraviglia – AQVA, works by Bill Moran, BAV Room 2, ph.Olivia Rainaldi.
Fulvio Pierangelini: When Water Meets Cuisine
Alongside JR’s installations and Moran’s creations, the exhibition also offers a gastronomic interpretation of water through the work of chef Fulvio Pierangelini.
Through original culinary narratives, Pierangelini explores the relationship between cuisine, memory and ingredients, highlighting the cultural significance of food and the importance of respecting natural resources.
His contribution broadens the scope of the exhibition, demonstrating how water can be explored through seemingly distant disciplines united by a profound connection with nature.
Book Restoration: Water as Both a Threat and a Resource
The final section of the exhibition is dedicated to the Restoration Laboratory of the Vatican Apostolic Library, where water takes on a different meaning.
While leaks and flooding can cause irreversible damage to ancient manuscripts and books, water is also an essential resource in numerous conservation and restoration processes.
This section offers visitors an insight into the work of restorers and the techniques used to protect an invaluable literary and historical heritage.
The exhibition concludes by returning to the Vatican Library’s fundamental mission: preserving and passing on knowledge while transforming the challenges of conservation into opportunities for research and discovery.
Exhibition view Catastrofe e Meraviglia – AQVA, Room BAV Andito Pastor. Ph: Olivia Rainaldi
The Vatican Apostolic Library: Where Historical Heritage Meets Contemporary Art
Established in its modern form in the fifteenth century through the initiative of Pope Nicholas V and subsequently developed under Pope Sixtus IV, the Vatican Apostolic Library is one of the world’s most important institutions dedicated to preserving and studying literary heritage.
Its collections include manuscripts, ancient and modern books, archival documents, coins, medals, engravings, drawings, maps and photographic materials.
With Catastrophe and Wonder, the Library continues to engage with the contemporary world, using exhibitions to establish new connections between historical heritage and the major challenges of our time.
The project is organized in institutional collaboration with Fondazione Roma, with which the Library has established a three-year partnership, and with the support of Intesa Sanpaolo.
Exhibition view Catastrofe e Meraviglia – AQVA, Sala BAV 1. Ph: Olivia Rainaldi
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