Brazil, Algeria, Antarctica, Russia, Mali, Alaska, India, Namibia, Italy... There are 42 photographs by the renowned Master Sebastião Salgado, printed in large format, that make up AQUA MATER, the exhibition that, after being presented in Paris in a bamboo pavilion under the Grande Arche in the La Défense district, will be exhibited for the first time in Italy at Palazzo Ducale in Genoa, with opening to the public from March 22, 2024, on the occasion of World Water Day promoted by UNESCO.

AQUA MATER is produced by the Palazzo Ducale Foundation in collaboration with Rjma Progetti culturali, Creation, and SM-Art. The exhibition is curated by Lélia Wanick Salgado, the photographer's work and life partner, and the exhibition path is accompanied by a sound track composed for the exhibition by the musician François Bernard Mâche, of the Académie des Beaux Arts. An audio guide in Italian and English will also be available to all visitors, with the personal history of Sebastião Salgado and his memories of the photos presented in the exhibition.

The exhibition project stems from the author's reflection on the state of the Planet and in particular on Water, the element that makes it unique in the universe, a theme at the center of an epochal change that the Palazzo Ducale Foundation welcomes with a great sense of responsibility. Climate change and rising sea levels, desertification, and floods will have devastating consequences for the environment and for millions of people who will be forced to change their lives. Harmonious coexistence with the aquatic element and its protection are increasingly essential for our survival and for the safeguarding of biodiversity in the world.

Based on these premises, Sebastião Salgado has selected some significant images to represent the need, beauty, strength, and mysteries of water, a fundamental and precious element of the Earth. The photographs - printed in black and white in large formats - will be set up in an evocative exhibition path. The photos show the relationship between nature and human life, highlighting the link between environmental crisis and social inequalities.

Exhibition hours

From Tuesday to Sunday 10am-7pm

Closed on Monday