2.190° Fahrenheit
on the edge of volcanoes
14 May – 11 June 2022
Arcipèlago – Udine

 

The creative space Arcipèlago is thrilled to present a collective exhibition exploring the fascinating theme of volcanoes. Paintings, photographs, sculptures, historical documents, and videos trace
a visual journey through the phenomena of volcanic activity – from the quiet fumes to the first threatening rumbles, from the cataclysmic explosion to the silent dormancy.

Since the beginning of humanity, volcanoes have captured our imaginations. They are unquestionably one of the most spectacular and inspiring manifestations of nature. Through this curated selection of artworks and rare archival documents, Arcipèlago wishes to tell some of the stories that lie behind these giants and share different visions on nature’s astonishing power and wildest beauty.

With paintings by Francesco Poiana, sculptures by Sonia Armellin, photographs by Gaia Cantarutti, Luigi Chiapolino, Vittorio Franzolini, Antonio Raciti, Max Rommel, Bartolomeo Rossi, Omar Sartor; historical document from the early 20th century, video archives of vulcanologists Maurice and Katia Krafft.

2 190° Fahrenheit is a geological contemplation from the depths of the Earth to the vastness of an incandescent cloud. Magma, lava, sulphur, basalt, molten rock, ashes, but also the green shades of the fertile plains, the opaque fog, the bloody lights of the craters… This show is an invitation to approach this gargantuan flux of energy that lives under our feet and explore the hypnotic mineral world, the one that lives, the one that blasts.

“Volcanoes generate a paradoxical fascination. They’re wise yet dramatic; they’re complexe and metamorphic, they’re surrounded by legends and myths yet so challenging to study; they are the world’s origin and destruction. Looking at them, one can easily experience the sublime’s manifestation and see Earth as it must have been at its genesis. In a world that is going mad, it is a relief to
contemplate volcanoes’ permanence and timeless splendour of which we will never be masters.” explains Charlotte Menard, co-curator of the exhibition.