PENSIONERS’ EXHIBITION | Oracles Beyond the Seas 19.06–07.09.2026

In January 1893, the crew of the schooner Allan Gardiner seized a Yaghan canoe from a family traveling between the islands of the southernmost tip of Chile. Three years later it was given as a gift to Prince Luigi Amedeo di Savoia during his visit to Punta Arenas, who sent it to Rome. It arrived at the museum in August 1896. This canoe has been resting in the dark for 130 years. Today this exhibition is a small door to open the possibility of its return to the land from which it departed.

With gratitude to the Yaghan Community of Bahía Mejillones, Puerto Williams.
Thanks to: Rodrigo Barría Balfor, Christian Báez, Peter Mason, Hans Mülchi, Maylis de Kerangal, Museo della Civiltà Romana, Elisa Ganivet.

The exhibition brings together the projects and research of the sixteen pensioners at the conclusion of their year-long residency at Villa Medici. It is defined by the diversity of artistic practices represented, ranging from literature and musical composition to art history, visual arts, photography and cinema.

Curators Roberto Pontecorvo, Imma Tralli (Marea Art Project, @mareartproject) Associate Curator Camille Coschieri (@camcosch)

With the 16 pensioners of Villa Medici

Alia BENGANA, Arianna Brunori, Diaty DIALLO ,Marin FOUQUÉ , Elitza GUEORGUIEVA ,Hugo LINDENBERG , Giulia LORUSSO ,Paul MAHEKE , Marie-Claire Messouma MANLANBIEN , Randa MAROUFI ,Farnaz MODARRESIFAR ,Baptiste PINTEAUX ,Enrique RAMIREZ , Ben RUSSELL , Camille LÉVY SARFATI, Thu-Van TRAN

And 4 invited artists Nastasia Alberti Jacques Kaufmann Adriano Tramontozzi Alice Visentin

With the support of @academiedesbeauxarts @drivalia.italia @chanelofficial Fondation Louis Roederer @fondationbp

The title of the exhibition is inspired by the work “Oracles from the Sea” (1998) by artist Vera Tamari

📷 ©️ @daniele.molajoli