Cultural Olympiad, must-see exhibitions dedicated to the mountains

Even Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic Games, had conceived sport in close relationship with art, taking up the model of ancient Greece. From the Stockholm Olympics of 1912 to the London Olympics of 1948, artists competed alongside athletes; later, artistic participation turned into exhibitions and the opening ceremonies themselves represented a form of performance art. In the schedule of Milano Cortina 2026, there is a full calendar of exhibitions and projects that surround the competitions and transform cities and territories into a great visual narrative spread. From the historical photographs of Cortina 1956 on display at the Gallerie d'Italia in the Lombard capital to contemporary interpretations dedicated to snow and the mountains that animate various localities in Valtellina, Trento and Bolzano and, of course, the 'Queen of the Dolomites', where the first Winter Games hosted in Italia kicked off in January 70 years ago.