Interactive Multimedia Installation “Oculus-Spei” Makes a Stop in Naples
As part of the 2,500th anniversary celebrations of the founding of Naples, promoted by the National Committee Neapolis 2500—jointly established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and the Ministry of Culture—the Deputation of the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro presents the interactive multimedia installation “Oculus-Spei” by Annalaura di Luggo. The exhibition, curated by Ivan D’Alberto, will open on Tuesday, 11 November at 6:30 PM at the Treasure Chapel, with moral patronage from the Jubilee 2025, the MAECI, and the Ministry of Justice. The installation will remain open to the public until 11 February 2026 and is realized with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a contribution from Luca de Magistris, Private Banker Fideuram.
Previously exhibited at the Pantheon in Rome, the Medici Museum in Florence, and the Chapel of the Holy Shroud at the Royal Museums of Turin—all symbolic spaces of faith, renewal, and innovation—“Oculus-Spei” returns to its “home base”: Naples, the heart of the Mediterranean and the starting point for a new cultural opening to the world.
Simultaneously with the Naples exhibition, “Oculus-Spei” will extend its multimedia experience to the Italian Cultural Institute in Barcelona, through collaboration with the MAECI. This international participation aims to highlight Naples’ 2,500th anniversary abroad, promoting universal values of peace, inclusion, and hope through art. The Barcelona presentation, scheduled for 3 December 2025 on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, will further reinforce Naples as a starting point and symbol of a project that spreads dialogue and shared values worldwide through the universal language of art.
The opening in Naples on 11 November 2025 was deliberately chosen: Armistice Day, symbolizing peace and commemorating the end of World War I. On this occasion, at the close of the Jubilee Year, “Oculus-Spei” renews its message of brotherhood and hope for the future.
Project Concept and Participants
Developed in Naples over the past year, a city celebrated for its vitality and multicultural coexistence, “Oculus-Spei” features four protagonists with disabilities from different continents (Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe) who live in Naples. This choice underscores Naples’ millennial history as a place of hospitality and solidarity.
The installation interprets the 25th Jubilee of Hope through symbolic reproductions of the four Holy Doors of papal basilicas, transformed by Annalaura di Luggo into interactive portals. Visitors are invited to physically engage with the doors to encounter the four protagonists, transfigured through light.
A fifth door, dedicated to Rebibbia Prison and chosen by Pope Francis as an additional Holy Door, engages viewers through an innovative gesture-recognition system in real time: the bars, symbolizing internal prisons, dissolve under a beam of light, transforming the experience into a journey of liberation and self-awareness.
“Oculus-Spei exemplifies the spirit of the Naples 2500 celebrations: bridging the city’s millennial history with present-day challenges, where art becomes a tool for dialogue, inclusion, and rebirth. The National Committee Neapolis 2500 is proud to support a project that, through the light of hope, gives a voice to those often left invisible, reaffirming Naples’ role as a crossroads of humanity, creativity, and global culture,” says Michele di Bari, President of the National Committee Neapolis 2500.
“Annalaura di Luggo’s work, perfectly aligned with the social and spiritual values long expressed in her artistic production, is warmly welcomed by the Deputation of San Gennaro. The artist’s introspective approach resonates with the reflections historically inspired by the cult of San Gennaro, not only in the hearts of Neapolitans but also in all who come into contact with it. The exhibition combines a universal language with popular sentiment, making it, in many ways, a truly fateful encounter,” adds Carlo Sersale, Deputy of the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro.
Annalaura di Luggo, who also directed the documentary “Oculus-Spei”, has long pursued research that combines art, technology, and social commitment. The film, dedicated to Pope Francis, is currently under consideration for the 2026 Oscars in the Best Documentary Short category and has been selected for the The Impact Docs Awards International Festival.
Presentation of the Project
The launch event will feature:
Carlo Sersale, Deputy of the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro
Davide Vincent Mambriani, Cultural Affairs Officer for Jubilee 2025
Michele di Bari, Prefect of Naples and President of Neapolis 2500
Francesca Ummarino, Director of the Treasure of San Gennaro Museum
Ivan D’Alberto, Curator