The Olympic art posters: Where movement meets masterpiece.
The bridges between sport and art in the Olympic Games have been showcased since the early 20th century when the first official poster was made for the Stockholm 1912 Summer Games.
Art Posters to promote the most notable sporting competition in the world have been a norm since the 1972 Games, and over the years many artists have featured in showcasing their talent and creativity, including renowned names such as David Hockney to Andy Warhol.
With the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games taking place next year, young emerging Italian artists were chosen to produce the next set of Olympic posters which were unveiled last week at the Triennale Milano museum in Milan.
The Five Olympic Art Posters of Milano Cortina 2026
“Silver Peaks”
Artist: Beatrice Alici, 32 from San Donà di Piave
Silver Peaks shows a mountain backdrop of the Venetian Prealps against a snow landscape with three figures: a ski-jumper, a hockey player, and a figure skater holding the Olympic torch.
Beatrice Alici drew inspiration from the mountain landscapes she had seen during family skiing trips. Her aim was to portray the Winter Games as “timeless and almost mythical”.
She summarises the top three achievements within sport of first, second and third place by using three figures and by embedding the metals of gold, silver and bronze.
Alici said: “The vast, silent mountain landscape represents nature as an ancient and sacred force, while the small, solitary athletes evoke the fragility and determination of the human spirit.
“By placing them in this dreamlike, suspended space, I aimed to reflect not only the physical effort of sport, but also its deep emotional and symbolic resonance.”
“Torch”
Artist: Martina Cassatella, 28 from San Giovanni Rotondo
Torch, in the artist Martina Cassatella’s own words, shows “two intertwined hands merge into a flame, evoking the Olympic torch.”
Cassatella captures the hands in the shape of a pyramid to symbolise a rising flame. Her aim was to capture the warmth and strength of the Olympic torch through her choice of colours, using the union of two hands.
Cassatella said: “The Olympic torch—always a metaphor for the positive values associated with sport—seemed to me the most eloquent image to communicate something: its journey represents a bridge between past and present, a message of joy passed from hand to hand.”
“The warm tone of the piece represents energy: the warmth of light that emanates from a sense of community, of unity in diversity. It is a tribute to light, to the idea of a warm and bright winter, to the sun and its return.”
“2026”
Artist: Giorgia Garzilli, 32 from Naples
2026 celebrates the innocence of childhood and play through a joyful take on the Olympic rings, featuring them as ice cream scoops atop a cone.
Giorgia Garzilli created her piece using graphite and coloured pencils, drawing on childhood memories of a plastic cone toy that would launch a ball into the air when pressed.
Garzilli said: “My intention through this image, is to remind of the fun and pleasure of both athletes and sport enthusiasts during the Games, beside the focus and emotions for the event.”
“The Mountain”
Artist: Maddalena Tesser, 32 from Vittorio Veneto
The Mountain merges a central focus of a female figure gazing upwards towards the sky with the surroundings of mountains and nature. Her hair flows down into a ski slope as her head marks the base of the Dolomites mountain backdrop.
Maddalena Tesser showcases each of the five Olympic colours in her piece, noting inspiration from nature and life. The experience of creating this artwork brought her closer “to the many worlds of athletes” as well as those of the artists who partook in the project alongside her.
Tesser said about the figure in her poster: “I believe this drawing contains a small, simple story that all of us have either lived or imagined.
“It speaks of peace, harmony, and awareness between the things we are, the things we can become, and what we should preserve and take care of—together."
“The Oasis Of Play”
Artist: Flaminia Veronesi, 39 from Milan
The Oasis Of Play shows a woman daydreaming into an oasis of bubbles, each with a different colour to represent the Olympic rings and each paired with a sport “representing all the worlds of sport", in the artist’s words.
Flaminia Veronesi drew inspiration from the notion that “when we play, we create an oasis of joy”. She also includes the Biscione dragon, a historic symbol of Milan, with the Dolomites along its back.
Veronesi said: “Games—both Olympic and everyday—give life to imaginary worlds, symbolic representations of reality.”
“Wasting time in play helps us rediscover joy in life, and the Olympics are an opportunity for both spectators and athletes to practice that.”
The posters will be on display at the Triennale Milano from 19 June 2025 – 15 March 2026.
Sportsbeat 2025