Francesco Vezzoli Victoria Mater. L’idolo e l’icona

The installation presents a dialectical encounter between two bronzes of extraordinary beauty and elegance — and perhaps even more, of profound meaning and substance — which engage in dialogue against the backdrop created by one of the most renowned and acclaimed Italian artists on the international scene.

In continuity with the enhancement and redevelopment projects of the archaeological area carried out in recent years, and in line with a cultural strategy grounded in constant and active cross-fertilisation between ancient and contemporary, Fondazione Brescia Musei has entrusted Francesco Vezzoli with the creation of an unprecedented installation, curated by Donatien Grau. The work stages a dialogue between the Winged Victory, one of the most important masterpieces of Roman antiquity in terms of composition, material, and state of preservation, and the Idolino of Pesaro, a refined example of classical craftsmanship from the National Archaeological Museum of Florence, Italy.

The event has been specifically conceived to accompany the opening of the celebrations for the Bicentenary of the discovery of the bronze deposit of the Capitoline Temple of Brescia, where the Winged Victory was preserved, and in anticipation of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The initiative is funded by Regione Lombardia within the framework of the ‘Olimpiadi della Cultura’ call and is part of the ‘Giochi della Cultura’ programme, promoted by Regione Lombardia in collaboration with Triennale Milano.

The Milano Cortina 2026 Cultural Olympiad is a multidisciplinary, plural, and widespread programme that will enliven Italy by promoting Olympic values and fostering dialogue between art, culture, and sport, in view of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.