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What a Wonderful World

What a Wonderful World
16 March ‒ 28 April 2019
Opening: 16 March, 5 pm
Open every day from 4 to 8 pm
Hermann Geiger Cultural Foundation
Piazza Guerrazzi 32, Cecina (Livorno)
Free admission

A selection of photographs from the National Geographic Society

We often forget about the wonders, greatness and fragility of the world we live in. The exhibition What a Wonderful World reminds us of all this through fifty extraordinary pictures telling of our planet’s beauty in all its aspects: tiny insects and giant whales, geological formations and the light displays of the Aurora Borealis, scorching African panoramas and the icy waters of the polar pack.

The exhibition, curated by Alessandra Scalvini, is organized by the Hermann Geiger Cultural Foundation in collaboration with the National Geographic Society. The selected shots were taken by twenty different photographers and tell surprising stories of delicate ecosystems, adventurous explorations and fleeting moments to be captured before they vanish forever. Like the courtship ritual of the rare greater bird of paradise Tim Laman managed to photograph at a height of thirty metres in the canopy of the Borneo rain forest. Or the cloud of microbubbles Paul Nicklen found himself engulfed in when emperor penguins emerged from the abyss beneath. Or the poetic light of dawn colouring the dunes behind the ancient, scorched trees of the Namibian Dead Vlei and captured thanks to Frans Lanting’s patience. Large-format prints of unique, colourful pictures surround the visitors and give them an even more thrilling experience.

Cover photo

The National Geographic Society is a prestigious US scientific institution. Since 1888 it has published a magazine that bears its name and is currently translated into dozens of languages with a monthly readership of 30 million people. Articles dealing with naturalistic and anthropological topics, travelogues, and features on geographic explorations are supplemented with beautiful, impressive photographs that are capable of telling stories through images and driving home key messages. Being published in National Geographic is an aspiration for the world’s best nature photographers.

Most of the twenty photographers contributing to What a Wonderful World have scientific, rather than photographic, training as their speciality. They live a life between journeys and adventures and are always looking out for a different way of seeing and narrating their environment with the aim of getting people to know, love and protect it.

The exhibition

What a Wonderful World will be inaugurated on Saturday 16 March at 5 pm and will be open every day, also on bank holidays, from 4 to 8 pm until 28 April. Admission is free. Information boards about the stories behind the pictures and video interviews with the photographers will enrich the visitors’ experience. A catalogue featuring all the photographs on display as well as accompanying texts will be released for the occasion. Guided tours for groups outside the opening hours can be arranged by telephoning (0039) 0586 635011.