Clément Cogitore: Ferdinandea

Galerie Nathalie Obadia presents "Ferdinandea", Clément Cogitore’s first solo exhibition with the gallery. The exhibition brings together a film, videos, archival documents and engraved photographs exploring the history of Ferdinandea, a volcanic island that emerged in the Strait of Sicily in 1831 before disappearing beneath the Mediterranean.

Cogitore’s practice combines contemporary art and cinema, moving between documentary and fiction. In "Ferdinandea", he examines the island through historical records, scientific research and fictional narratives, exploring how images and documents shape our understanding of events.

The exhibition includes "Ferdinandea: Prémonitions", a 16 mm film using familiar objects and changing light to evoke the island before its appearance; "Ferdinandea: Incertitudes", a nine-part video combining multiple languages, archival material and re-enacted scenes; and "Ferdinandea: Vigilances", which follows a scientific investigation of the submerged island. Engraved photographs and "Ferdinandea: Cendres", featuring a nineteenth-century engraving covered in volcanic ash, further explore the relationship between image, history and disappearance.

Together, the works present Ferdinandea through different forms of evidence and representation, considering how an island can remain present through the images, documents and narratives that survive after its disappearance.