"There is great power in the indeterminate" — Cy Gavin

The word Mediterranean translates literally as “in the middle of the earth”. The Mediterranean Sea had been a cradle of great empires and rich cultures a source of myths, legends, art and discoveries for more than three millennia — and to this day it continues to shape relationships between people.

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It is an entity that has a life of its own — it breathes, changes its shape, changes its state - from utter serenity to ardent storms. It is a microcosm full of mysteries, incredible creatures and fascinating processes.

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Over many centuries we have ravenously consumed and exploited the resources of the sea through overfishing, plastic pollution, concreting of the coast and other man-made processes. This is now a planetary-scale threat.

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The Mediterranean represents only 1.5% of the earth’s surface, but it encompasses almost all the potentially catastrophic issues the planet is facing. The exhibition “Mare Nostrum: fragile vita” and the Maritima project shed light on the activity of contemporary artists and scientists who study current problems, research newly discovered species and the threats they are facing, and try to find solutions. We want to draw public attention to the environmental problems of the Mediterranean region and to the importance of investigating mysteries of the sea.

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“Two billion years ago, cyanobacteria oxygenated the atmosphere and powerfully disrupted life on Earth,” says former New York Times reporter Andrew Revkin. “But they didn’t know it. We are the first species that has become a planet-scale influence and is aware of that reality. That’s what distinguishes us.”