Olimpia Zagnoli: “My work represents the spark of the Olympic vision that arises from the meeting of distant worlds”

The Iconic Poster of the Olympics

Her Iconic Poster features a close-up figure wearing glasses inspired by the Olympic Rings. “The idea was to start from the center of the image”, explains the artist, “to define the color palette of the entire illustration“. With this image, the artist aimed to evoke the connection between Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo through a universal visual language. “Milan is known in Italy and worldwide as the city of design and fashion, but also as a place where people come to make their dreams come true, to express themselves freely, and where there is space for everyone. My character represents this openness that Milan stands for. In the background, you can recognize Cortina d’Ampezzo, with a stylized version of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo and the surrounding mountain landscape, a place that is very dear to me, just like Milan“.

Olympic Art with a Feminine Touch

Olimpia Zagnoli, along with Carolina Altavilla, is one of the two artists who have created the Iconic Posters for the Olympics and Paralympics Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, now on display at the Triennale in Milano. “Being chosen to represent the symbol of the Olympics is a great honor. I am a woman, I live as a woman, and I am surrounded by women, so the fact that two women created the symbols for the Olympics and Paralympics should not be surprising. What strikes me, however, is that, even in 2025, this is still seen as an exception, when it should already be the norm”.