Ugo Schiavi: The Midnight Zone

This immersive installation explores the abyssal world of the deep sea. The exhibition forms part of the Biennale of Arts and the Ocean, “The Sea Around Us.” Schiavi creates a hybrid environment in which glass sculptures, sometimes combined with recycled, natural, or industrial elements, coexist with computer-generated video and sound, developed in collaboration with a bio-acoustician. The title refers to the bathypelagic zone, a deep layer of the ocean where sunlight does not penetrate.

The installation examines ecological and technological concerns while evoking ancestral mythology and science fiction. It presents a disturbing yet fascinating atmosphere that captures the transformation of a largely unknown and already threatened environment. By exploring contemporary concepts of the deep sea and the potential consequences of industrial exploitation of the abyssal plains, the work invites reflection on ecosystems that remain untouched and fragile.

Ugo Schiavi, an internationally recognised artist, has previously participated in the Voyage à Nantes (2021), Biennale de Lyon (2022), Noor Riyadh Festival (2023), and Manifesta 15 in Barcelona (2024). For the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, he created the sculpture Euphoria for the Athletes’ Village. The glass pieces in the exhibition are designed and produced at the International Centre for Research on Glass and Plastic Arts (CIRVA) in Marseille. The exhibition is co-produced by MAMAC, Le 109, and La Station, in conjunction with Nice 2025 – Year of the Sea and the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC), with support from C4 + bermont&fils.