Sport. The Challenges of the Body

The Gian Paolo Barbieri Foundation is proud to announce the participation of Gian Paolo Barbieri in the exhibition “Sport. The Challenges of the Body”, on view from November 1, 2025 to March 22, 2026 at the MART Museum in Rovereto.

Conceived on the occasion of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, this extraordinary exhibition explores the relationship between art and sport, focusing on the representation of the body in athletic practice. Through more than 350 works of art and archival materials, the exhibition unfolds as a multifaceted journey across different periods and visual languages, illustrating how the visual arts have contributed to shaping the myth of sport and its protagonists.

From classical origins—symbolically represented by Myron’s Discobolus—to contemporary icons, the exhibition highlights the emergence of heroes and heroines, exploring the body as a site of tension between strength and fragility, record and limit. Particular attention is given to modern and contemporary production, placed in dialogue with significant loans from public and private collections, as well as masterpieces from the museum’s collections.

Divided into eight thematic sections, the exhibition brings together artworks, photographs, illustrations, advertising materials, objects, and sports memorabilia, including historic bicycles belonging to legendary champions, iconic garments, and materials connected to the myths of sport and the performing arts. The result is a multidisciplinary vision in which the body is not only a tool for performance, but also a space of emotion, contrast, and inner challenge.

An unmissable opportunity to engage in a deep and compelling reflection on the body, sport, and their powerful cultural imagery.

INFORMATION

Saturday, November 1, 2025 – Sunday, March 22, 2026
MART Museum, Rovereto (TN)