What to expect
The Palazzo Ducale in Genoa is hosting a major group exhibition inspired by Herman Melville's masterpiece, exploring its many historical and symbolic interpretations: from the struggle between man and nature to the conflict between good and evil, from feelings of passion and revenge to the themes of travel and discovery.
Starting from this diversity, Moby Dick – The Whale, creates a path that guides visitors through a multifaceted artistic universe, from medieval to contemporary art, and from the history of navigation to illustration.
The exhibition features large video installations, sculptures, harpoons, canvases, photographs, and engravings that explore the great themes of this extraordinary work through a journey through historical eras, points of view, and adaptations. It starts with visual art, but then moves on to music, cinema, science, and biology through the lens of literature.
From the first Italian edition of the work with the famous translation by Cesare Pavese to the reproduction of a traditional Inuit hut, from the audio reproduction of the mysterious "songs" of whales to precious Japanese prints depicting hunting scenes. And then there are boats, ornaments with whale teeth, and large art installations that, with hypnotic color images, will make you look at the ocean... through the eyes of Moby Dick.
The themes of the exhibition will be intertwined with the maritime history of the city of Genoa and the International Cetacean Sanctuary of the Ligurian Sea.
The exhibition benefits from contributions not only from the network of Genoa's Civic Museums, but also from many other prestigious museums and cultural institutions, including the MUCIV (Museum of Civilizations of Rome), the Museum and Royal Wood of Capodimonte in Naples, the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence, the Triennale di Milano, Gallerie d'Italia in Milan, and the MART – Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto.
The artists on display
A Constructed World, Mario Airò, John Akomfrah, Elisabetta Benassi, Guy Ben-ner, Agostino Bonalumi, Dadamaino, Tacita Dean, Mark Dion, Giovanni Gariboldi, Clara Hastrup, Carsten Holler, Emilio Isgrò, Joan Jonas, Francesco Jodice, Claudia Losi, Jumana Manna, Piero Manzoni, Arturo Martini, and Fausto Melotti
Marzia Migliora, Mauro Panichella, Pino Pascali, Paola Pivi, Alberto Rosselli, Thomas Ruff, Libero Rutilo, Elena Konig Scavini, Mario Sturani, Turi Simeti, Teresa Solar, Alberto Tadiello, Wu Tsang, Janaina Tschäpe, Cosima Von Bonin, Dominique White, and Ines Zenha