14.07.22 09.11.2022
Tivoli, Villa d’Este
The representation of the body and the athletic competition is the exhibition focus, read in the evolution from the classical to the contemporary model.
From July 14 to November 9, 2022, Villa d'Este in Tivoli will host "Too Human: the athletic competition from altars to dust" an exhibition born from the collaboration between the VILLAE of Tivoli and the Roman National Museum.
The respective directors Andrea Bruciati, and Stéphane Verger are the curators.
The exhibition wants to make the visitor reflect on the connotation of the body in the West, starting from the anatomical perfection of the ancient athlete, the earthly version of the warrior hero, and the ideal and exemplary figure for physical abilities and intellectual virtues.
Then there is the representation of the competition between contenders, the athletic competition, in which the harmonious and continuous tension between the parties is manifested, in a sublimated narrative of the challenge. And finally, we arrive at the epic-less defeat of the contemporary hero, the awareness and anxiety about his limit, and the consequent corruption of every model. The competitive spirit, a legacy of the oldest practices of initiation to the warrior's courage and virtues, is an important aspect of education for the achievement of the 'kalokagathìa' completion and synthesis of beauty, refinement, and culture.
Among the works on display, there are modern and contemporary works of art, such as a picture of the anatomical model by Costantin Brancusi; plates and drawings by Mario Sironi works by Giulio Paolini, Vincenzo Agnetti, and Mirella Bentivoglio.