In 1831, the Mediterranean witnessed a completely unprecedented phenomenon. As a result of significant volcanic and seismic activity, a new island emerged in the Strait of Sicily off the coast of Tunisia. Situated at the strategic crossroads of the eastern and western Mediterranean regions, the new territory aroused the curiosity and covetousness of both scientists and European powers, which were then in the midst of colonial expansion. Unstable and subject to tidal movements, the island vanished within a few months, leaving behind dreams of conquest, escape, exploration, and solitude.
Nearly a century later, it is through the eyes of artist Clément Cogitore that this island returns to our memory in the exhibition Ferdinandea, presented at the Mucem. The title echoes the name given to this ephemeral territory by the Italian kingdom. The city of Marseille thus presents a rich exhibition, facing the Mediterranean and its surf.

Excerpt from the article by Léo Guy-Denarcy published in issue No. 117 of the magazine Art Absolument.

exhibition's website