Synopsis

For centuries, man has been fascinated by whales and, since ancient times, myths and legends, beliefs and tales have arisen that have highlighted their symbolic and ambivalent nature: on the one hand monstrous beings capable of swallowing ships and bringing destruction, on the other benevolent creatures, queens of the ocean.

One of the greatest literary icons is Moby Dick, Herman Melville’s novel published in 1851. In it, Captain Ahab obsessively pursues a giant white whale in a story full of symbolism and philosophical musings.

Palazzo Ducale in Genoa hosts a large collective exhibition that starts from the masterpiece of the American author and explores his multiple 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 precisely from this multiplicity, Moby Dick – The Whale, builds a path that accompanies the visitor to discover a multifaceted artistic universe passing from medieval to more contemporary art, from the history of navigation to illustration.

The exhibition presents large video installations, sculptures, harpoons, canvases, photographs and engravings that investigate the great themes of this extraordinary work through a journey through historical eras, points of view and adaptations. We start from visual art, but we arrive at music, cinema, science and biology thanks to the filter 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 boats, whaletooth ornaments and large art installations that, with hypnotic colour imagery, will make one look out over the ocean… with the eyes of Moby Dick.

The themes of the exhibition will be intertwined with the maritime history of the city of Genoa and with the International Cetacean Sanctuary of the Ligurian Sea.
In addition to the network of the Civic Museums of Genoa, the exhibition also draws on contributions from many other prestigious museum and cultural institutions including the MUCIV (Museum of Civilizations of Rome), the Museo e Real Bosco di 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 in Trento and Rovereto.

Chora Media will produce a four-episode podcast with interventions by musicians, theater directors, actors, writers and the artists themselves present in the exhibition. The four episodes will tell one of the aspects of our relationship with whales: beauty, conflict, myth, research.

Finally, the themes of the exhibition will be explored in depth by a rich program of conferences and educational workshops for families and students, as well as guided tours and thematic workshops.

An exhibition produced by Palazzo Ducale Fondazione per la Cultura, in collaboration with TBA21 – Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary.

It is part of the Genoa year and the nineteenth century sponsored by the Municipality of Genoa.
curated by Ilaria Bonacossa and Marina Avia Estrada