"Beyond Space, Beyond Time. The Dream of Ulisse Aldrovandi" Lands in Rome

From Friday, 22nd March, to Sunday, 21st July, the Civic Museum of Zoology in Rome (via Ulisse Aldrovandi, 18) will host the exhibition "Beyond Space, Beyond Time: The Dream of Ulisse Aldrovandi," produced by SMA - University Museum System and Golinelli Foundation in collaboration with INAF - National Institute of Astrophysics.

Conceived by Andrea Zanotti, Antonio Danieli, Roberto Balzani, and Luca Ciancabilla, who also curated it, the exhibition arrives in the capital after its stint in Bologna. Supported by the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Department of Culture - Capitoline Superintendence for Cultural Heritage, and organized with the logistical support of Zètema Progetto Cultura, the exhibition is enriched with works and contents from the collections of the Civic Museums of the Capitoline Superintendence, particularly from the Civic Museum of Zoology, the Gallery of Modern Art, and the Capitoline Picture Gallery.

Focused on the figure of Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522-1605), the pioneer of the modern Natural History Museum, the exhibition presents the two facets of the Bolognese naturalist: the scientist, observing a reality that has already been, and the artist, envisioning and shaping what will be, revealing scenarios destined to become reality with the advancement of science.

Visitors will embark on a journey through time, navigating between past and future scenarios, encountering artifacts and objects from the museum collections of Bologna and Rome, as well as immersive and interactive technical-scientific exhibits produced originally by the Golinelli Foundation, paintings spanning various epochs by Bartolomeo Passarotti, Enrico Prampolini, Virgilio Marchi, and Mattia Moreni, and artworks - paintings, sculptures, and installations - by Nicola Samorì. Also on display are objects, instruments, videos, and images from the National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF-OAS in Bologna and INAF-IAPS in Rome) and the European Space Agency.

To connect the audience with the Bologna edition, there will be a prelude area featuring multimedia elements, combined with experiencing the digital twin of the Bologna edition in the metaverse, making the experience "tangible" and contextualizing the project, creating a sense of continuity between the past and current editions of the exhibition.

The journey continues, delving into history through the sculptures of Nicola Samorì, then exploring the scientific revolution embodied by Aldrovandi, including the reconstruction of his "ideal" studio. Visitors will marvel at wonders from the museum collections of the University of Bologna, enriched by those of the Civic Museum of Zoology. Aldrovandi's watercolour plates and his renowned "Monstrorum Historia" - a universal treatise on monsters and other supernatural phenomena - will interact with period paintings and contemporary artworks with a naturalistic theme, highlighting the symbiotic relationship between science and art.

Finally, the audience will be projected into the future: through virtual reality, they will experience the process of hibernation necessary for interstellar travel, and through olfactory installations, they will perceive the scents of the universe. Simultaneously, they will be fascinated by the story of Mars exploration thanks to materials and contributions from INAF, including 3D models of the Red Planet and terrestrial rocks analogous to those on Mars. The unsettling sculptural deformations by Nicola Samorì will conclude the journey.