Explore the infinite beauty of life in the ocean depths and, at the same time, the fragility of our planet’s undersea ecosystems, in the exhibition entitled “Oceans” that brings the National Geographic to Florence for the very first time.
From 21 October 2025 to 12 April 2026, Villa Bardini will be hosting first one-man exhibition, curated by National Geographic Italia Director Marco Cattaneo, celebrating the work of photographer David Doubilet, a pioneer and world leader in the field of underwater photography. Born in New York, David Doubilet is a world-famous underwater photographer who draws his inspiration from the work of the legendary Jacques-Yves Cousteau. For over half a century he has been roaming the seas across the globe to document their astounding beauty, exploring their least contaminated areas to produce pictures that have propelled him into the firmament of the world’s foremost photographers of nature. He has produced 74 reports for the National Geographic, for whom he began to work in 1971, authored 12 books and won many prestigious photography awards. He is also the inventor of the over/under technique that allows photographers to simultaneously capture images both above and below the surface. Now aged 79, he continues to plough the seven seas today.
The exhibition showcases over 80 images illustrating our planet’s marine ecosystems, which are currently under immense pressure due to both climate change and human activity. Together with his wife, marine biologist Jennifer Hayes who is also an underwater photographer, David Doubilet has become an ambassador of the oceans and of the importance of their good health for our own well-being. Eleven rooms house the iconic photographs he has taken in seas all over the world, from the Caribbean and the Philippines to Indonesia, Australia and Antarctica. The images showcased teach us to know and love the world that lives below the water’s surface and inspire us to take good care of the planet we live on.
Sponsored by Fondazione CR Firenze and Gallerie d’Italia - Intesa Sanpaolo, in collaboration with National Geographic.