From the Winter Games to a new model of territorial development, Italy is preparing for a year that brings together business, art and international dialogue.
By the end of January, it’s already apparent — particularly in a global city like Milan — that 2026 will be no ordinary year. Alongside the fixtures that shape Italy’s international profile — the Salone del Mobile, Milan Fashion Week, the Venice Biennale — another force is coming to the fore: sport.
Twenty years after the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics, Italy is once again preparing to host the Games. Milano–Cortina 2026 places the country back at the centre of the global stage, reaffirming its ability to balance deep-rooted identity with contemporary ambition. Italy’s strength lies in the breadth of its heritage: priceless cultural assets, celebrated food traditions, world-class manufacturing districts, UNESCO-listed villages and, of course, the Alpine landscapes that draw athletes and visitors from across the world.
Sport as a universal language and economic driver
If cultural institutions such as the Venice Biennale have long acted as engines of international dialogue and economic growth, sport plays a remarkably similar role. It is a social adhesive and a universal language. It fosters inclusion, encourages collaboration between nations and generates tangible impact across sectors including hospitality, food, tourism and events. During a global occasion such as the Olympics, these industries see substantial growth, creating new professional opportunities and leaving structural benefits that endure well beyond the closing ceremony.
It is no coincidence that next February not only Milan but the wider Lombardy region will become a diffuse stage for both public and private initiatives: interactive projects, youth programmes, brand pop-ups and themed exhibitions. Among them are White Out at the Triennale, Art Is My Favourite Sport by Fondazione Como Arte, and ZERO, an exhibition by photographer and digital artist Jacopo Di Cera hosted at Casa Art Events at Turati Gallery.
The dialogue between art and competition
The latter forms part of Art Olympics, a broader format conceived by Art Events to explore the intrinsic link between sport and culture as complementary drivers of social development — an idea that dates back to classical antiquity, when athletic competition and artistic expression occupied the same symbolic sphere.
Sport and culture are often treated as separate domains. Yet culture — understood as the collective body of knowledge, practices and creative output of a society — naturally encompasses sport. Sport is discipline of both body and mind; it is an aesthetic of movement and a system of shared codes. Every athletic gesture is the outcome of study, repetition and intention. Over time, each discipline develops its own grammar. Seen through this lens, sport can be read as a form of contemporary art.
Territory and identity: natural heritage
National identity, too, is shaped as much by landscape as by social and symbolic constructs. Geography informs culture and becomes one of its expressions. Italy’s mountains, which will provide the setting for the Winter Games, are not merely spectacular backdrops but integral elements of the country’s cultural fabric.
“Italy is a country of extraordinary beauty and unique heritage. By heritage, I mean not only cities, monuments or local traditions, but also the land itself — our natural capital,” says Filippo Perissinotto, President of Art Events, Culture Studio and Costadilà Articoltura. “Each region has its own distinct identity, one that deserves to be respected and thoughtfully enhanced. In all our projects, we aim to reinterpret this heritage through a contemporary and sustainable lens. The Olympics offer an opportunity to build a lasting system that connects culture, enterprise, sport and international dialogue.”
The Olympics as a global platform for dialogue
Within this context, initiatives such as Salotto Olimpico of Art Events highlight the importance of building meaningful, long-term connections. In a global climate marked by tension and fragmentation, an event of this scale can act as a bridge between nations, cultures and different ways of seeing the world.
The Olympics are not simply a sporting contest but a platform for exchange. They shift attention from division to shared values, transforming rivalry into constructive comparison and opening up new avenues of collaboration between institutions, businesses and communities.
It is in this capacity to bring together — people, places and perspectives — that their most enduring strength lies, and perhaps their most significant legacy for the country.
Iaroslava Kulikova
