From December 10, 2025, to September 20, 2026, the Mucem is dedicating an exhibition to the strange fate of Ferdinandea, the volcanic island that appeared and then sank in 1832 off the coast of Sicily. This is a grand project envisioned by artist and philosopher Clément Cogitore, who, through around forty works and archives (16mm films, videos, photos, graphic arts, paintings, and scientific documents, including seven works by the artist, never before exhibited in France and recently acquired by the Mucem), recounts the brief existence of this land that rose from the sea and speculates on its possible re-emergence. Facing the Mediterranean, visitors will discover a story where reality and myths intertwine, blending popular beliefs, premonitions, sciences, and geopolitics, where the ghost island becomes a mirror of our relationship with the world and possible futures.
The story of an ephemeral island
Between late June and mid-July 1832, underwater volcanic activity in the Strait of Sicily, off the coast of Tunisia, triggered a phenomenon...
a surprising event: the birth of a new island in the heart of the Mediterranean. Sailors and locals saw it as a monstrous message sent from the heavens, while scientists and researchers of the time found great interest in studying it. Meanwhile, the expanding European powers saw a new strategic location to claim. This sparked a competition among nations, involving Great Britain, France, and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, although it would be short-lived. And for good reason: just six months after its appearance, the island sank back into the Mediterranean Sea, swept away by the waves.
« Ile Giulia appeared on July 18, 1831 », plate IV extracted from Moderno Buffon, Italy, 1860. Lithograph on paper, 15 × 23 cm. Central Library of the National Museum of Natural History, Paris, IC KR 366 ©National Museum of Natural History, Paris
The fascinating story of a island that sleeps just a few meters below the surface, bearing the many names of its desire. Named Ferdinandea by the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies – in honor of King Ferdinand II of Bourbon – and Julia by the French – in reference to the July Monarchy – it is now closely monitored by seismologists. Because who knows, perhaps one day a new eruption could bring it back to life, the one that sparked so much geopolitical noise!
Clément Cogitore, the journey of a philosophical artist
Artist, filmmaker, and philosopher, Clément...nt Cogitore lives and works between Paris and Berlin. After studying at the École Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Strasbourg and at Fresnoy – Studio National des Arts Contemporains, he develops a practice at the intersection of contemporary art and cinema. Blending films, videos, installations, and photographs, his work questions the ways in which people coexist with their images. His work has been exhibited and presented in prestigious French and international institutions, biennials, and public and private collections.
Today, the artist is recognized internationally. He was awarded the Grand Prix at the Salon de Montrouge in 2011, before becoming a resident at the prestigious Académie de France in Rome – Villa Médicis in 2012. His first feature film, Neither Heaven nor Earth, selected for the Critics' Week at Cannes, won the Prix de la Fondation Gan and was nominated for the César Award for Best First Film in 2015. That same year,he receives the BAL Prize for young creation.
Portrait of Clément Cogitore © Kenza Wadimoff
In 2016, he received the Sciences Po Prize for Contemporary Art and the Ricard Foundation Prize for Contemporary Art, followed by the Marcel Duchamp Prize in 2018. After a highly praised short film about the opera, Les Indes galantes by Rameau, he staged it at the Opéra de Paris in 2019. This project was highlighted in the New York Times in its list of the ten best operas of the year, nominated for Best Opera Production by the Giornale della Musica, won the Forum Opera Award for Best Production 2019, and received the award for Best Staging in 2020 at the Oper! Awards. In 2022, his second feature film, Goutte d’Or, was selected for the Critics' Week at Cannes, winning the Screenplay Prize – Hildegarde, the Best Director Prize... ```;presentation at LEFFEST in Lisbon and the award for interpretation at the Hainan film festival. In 2023, the film is shortlisted to represent France at the Oscars.
Ferdinandea as seen by Clément Cogitore
It was during a stroll through a secondhand bookstore in Palermo that Clément Cogitore discovered the fascinating story of the island. He stumbled upon Salvatore Mazzarella’s book, Dell’isola Ferdinandea e di altre cose, which sparked over a year and a half of quest leading to the Madre, Contemporary Art Museum Donnaregina in Naples. It was in this museum that the exhibition about Ferdinandea came to life in the summer of 2022, showcasing a wide array of works and revealed archives.
Three years later, his work finds its place at another major port in the Mediterranean: Marseille. Facing the sea, in the heart of the 320 m² Georges Henri Rivière building of Mucem Fort Saint-Jean, the exhibition Clement Cogitore: Ferdinandea, the...Ephemeral Hours benefits from the loan of
new archives, a unique scenographic design, and an enhanced exhibition catalog. The seven works by the artist, showcased for the
first time in France, have been recently acquired by the Marseille museum.
This addition to the collections is at the heart of the scientific and cultural project of Mucem, the first museum dedicated to the cultures of Europe and the Mediterranean, allowing it to enrich its contemporary heritage. The acquisition resonates with the permanent exhibition Mediterraneans: Inventions and Representations, which explores how the Mediterranean space has been conceptualized, represented, and studied by European art and ethnology museums since the late 18th century, particularly in relation to colonial conquests. With Ferdinandea, Clément Cogitore offers an artistic and contemporary perspective that enriches the narrative.a post-colonial and decolonial reflection of the Mucem on the history of sciences and its collections.
Clément Cogitore. Ferdinandea: Vigilances, 2022. 4K video (still), color, 13 min 27 s. Mucem, Marseille © Clément Cogitore
The exhibition speculates on the emergence, fall, and potential re-emergence of the volcano, through various films, videos, and both documentary and fictional photographs, bringing together folk beliefs, archival documents, scientific reports, and maps. As you journey through the pieces, Ferdinandea transforms into a mirror of different relationships to the world and possible futures. It presents a form of utopia and dystopia submerged beneath the waters, highlighting ongoing political and imperial questions that remain ever relevant. This reflection continues as you leave the exhibition, your gaze fixed on the Mediterranean as the only horizon and a fabulous conclusion.
To kick off this exhibition in style, the Mucem is organizing open doors on the 10th.
December from 4 PM to 9 PM, in the heart of the Georges Henri Rivière building at Fort Saint-Jean. The exhibition will be open to the public, accompanied by music and a small refreshment area provided by Café du Fort. Flash tours will also be offered by curators Kathryn Weir, Helia Paukner, and Enguerrand Lascols, with introductory sessions at 4 PM, 5 PM, and 7:30 PM. The little extra bonus? Between 6 PM and 7 PM, you can also meet Clément Cogitore in person, who will be waiting for you in the depot hall to dive deeper into his works and journey, along with the exhibition curators. You'll also have the chance to purchase the exhibition catalog, a co-publication by Mucem and Atelier EXB, featuring texts by Tristan Garcia (an exclusive piece by the writer), Enguerrand Lascols, Hélia Paukner, and Kathryn Weir.Clément Cogitore: Ferdinandea, the ephemeral island
Mucem Fort Saint-Jean
7, promenade Robert Laffont (esplanade du J4, Gisèle Halimi) 13002 Marseille
From December 10th...from December 2025 to September 20, 2026
Open house on December 10, 2025, from 4 PM to 9 PM
More info and tickets
