JR Unveils Monumental Wave at Vatican Library in Exhibition Inaugurated by Pope Leo XIV

Key facts

• JR installed a monumental wave on the facade of the Vatican Apostolic Library in the Belvedere Courtyard.
• The installation is part of the exhibition "AQVA. Catástrofe e Maravilha," inaugurated by Pope Leo XIV on September 14, his 71st birthday.
• The wave measures approximately 70 meters wide and 13 meters high and is based on an engraving by Gustave Doré.
• The exhibition launches a five-year cycle by the Vatican Library dedicated to humanity's relationship with natural elements.
• The first chapter features JR, American typographer Bill Moran, and Italian chef Fulvio Pierangelini.
• The project presents water first as a threat, then as a vital force and a path to reconciliation between humanity and nature.
• Pope Leo XIV compared the Library to a heart that must alternate between preserving its heritage and engaging with the outside world, saying "Faithful to the past and faithful to the future."
• The exhibition opens to the public on September 25 and runs until May 14, 2027, with future editions to explore fire, light, and the human condition.