Souvenirs from Babel: A Fusion of Heritage and Contemporary Art at the Vatican Library

The Tower of Babel is the emblematic image of the exhibition titled Souvenirs de Babel, which from today until June 22 next year, the Kirk Kerkorian Exhibition Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Library hosts. This is the fifth exhibition dedicated to the dialogue between the Library's heritage and contemporary art, this time represented by the work of the Frenchman Alain Fleischer. The image chosen for the exhibition was published by Athanasius Kircher in 1679, and visitors will be welcomed by a giant photograph of the biblical Tower. 'It is in the light of this vivid biblical image,' says the Librarian Monsignor Angelo Vincenzo Zani, 'that Alain Fleischer, photographer, director, and writer, invites visitors to enter the halls of our Library. As in a new Babel, where all traces, even the most distant and tiny, of that dispersion decreed by God towards men, who attempted to make a name for themselves, are gathered.' The exhibition path continues in the poetic universe of Fleischer through a selection of the most emblematic works of his career, while others, specially created for this occasion, are displayed in the following rooms, where they are accompanied by a wide choice of historical photographs of the Library and casts of ancient Arab and Chinese steles. This is followed by a site-specific installation of great emotional impact that for the first time accounts for the dual nature of library and theater of the 'Barberini.' The exhibition can be visited until June 22, 2024, upon reservation on the Library's website (https://www.vaticanlibrary.va). Alain Fleischer is a writer, filmmaker, artist, and photographer who lives between France (Paris and Tourcoing) and Italy (Rome and Trevignano Romano). He is the author of over 60 books - including novels, short stories, and theoretical writings - and 350 films - including feature and short films, experimental films, and art documentaries - and has participated in numerous plastic art and photography exhibitions, both in France and abroad. He represented France in the biennials of Quang-Jiu, Sydney, Busan, Havana, and Moscow. He has taught at the University Paris III - Sorbonne Nouvelle and at the University of Quebec in Montreal. A fellow at the French Academy in Rome, he is, on behalf of the French Ministry of Culture, the founder and director of the Studio national des arts contemporaines 'le Fresnoy.'