From 21 October 2025 to 12 April 2026, Villa Bardini hosts “Oceani”, the first major exhibition in Italy dedicated to
David Doubilet, pioneer of underwater exploration and world reference of underwater photography. The exhibition is promoted by Fondazione CR Firenze and Gallerie d’Italia – Intesa Sanpaolo, in collaboration with National Geographic.
Over 80 photographs tell of the extraordinary richness of marine ecosystems, which are increasingly vulnerable today due to climate change and human activities. With his wife Jennifer Hayes, a marine biologist and underwater photographer, Doubilet is today recognized as a genuine ambassador of the oceans and the importance of their health for the future of humanity.
The exhibition itinerary is divided into eleven rooms with shots taken in the seas all over the world – from the Caribbean to the Philippines, from Indonesia to Australia, up to Antarctica.
Inspired by the famous over/under technique, which combines in a single image what happens above and below the surface of the water, the exhibition develops around an engaging play of opposites: warm/cold, close/far, scary/cute, bright/dark, threat/care, many/few. An alternation of environments and atmospheres that guides the visitor to discover a surprising world, inviting them to know, love and protect it.
Italiano
