JR unveils ‘Diluvium’ wave installation at Vatican Apostolic Library

The artist JR has unveiled a site-specific installation titled ‘Diluvium’ across the sixteenth-century facade of the Vatican Apostolic Library. The black-and-white work, measuring approximately 30 meters high and 70 meters wide, depicts a massive wave captured at the moment before it crashes into the architecture.

Inspired by Gustave Doré’s 1866 illustration of the biblical flood, the installation serves as the opening for ‘AQVA’, the first exhibition in a five-year cycle titled ‘Catastrophe and Wonder’. The project explores the tension between the library’s mission to preserve human memory and the destructive power of water, which represents a primary physical threat to the institution’s archives.

Beyond the literal threat of water damage, JR noted that the metaphor extends to climate change, political polarization, and the rise of artificial intelligence. The exhibition was inaugurated on September 14, 2026, in the presence of Pope Leo XIV. The launch also marks the beginning of a three-year collaboration between the Vatican Apostolic Library and Fondazione Roma focused on the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage.