Clément Cogitore: Ferdinandea, the Ephemeral Island

At the end of June 1831, an underwater volcano located between Sicily, Tunisia, and Libya erupted, giving birth to a small, arid island made of ash. Today, Ferdinandea lies eight meters below the waves, at the crossroads of Europe and the Arab world. Artist Clément Cogitore, a videographer, visual artist, storyteller, and filmmaker, seizes upon this historical and geological phenomenon as the starting point for an empirical fiction: an artist's book and visual narrative. Based on historical research and speculative projections, Ferdinandea recounts the emergence and disappearance of the volcanic island in a multimedia installation combining 16mm films, videos, 3D simulations, historical documents, and photographs. With underwater views, archival documents, clouds of slag, and multiple voices on the soundtrack, the work invites viewers on a dreamlike and metaphorical journey.Conceived as an artist's book, Ferdinandea, l'île éphémère (Ferdinandea, the ephemeral island) unfolds a visual narrative bordering on dystopia and accompanies the eponymous exhibition presented at the Mucem from December 10, 2025. For this metaphorical journey, Clément Cogitore invited writer Tristan Garcia to write an original short story about the island. Placed at the heart of the book, it highlights the hybrid nature of the work. A scientific apparatus with essays by the exhibition curators approaches the singular work of a major artist on the contemporary scene from different angles.
ISBN 9782365114578. Atelier EXB. hb. 344 pages. 250 colour ills. 22 x 17 cm.
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