Fondazione Prada, Milan: Global Antiquity
Ewer, Sasanian Empire, Iran south of the Caspian Sea, 6-7th century, silver, with gilding and niello; h. 45.5 cm
“This exhibition offers a constellation of exemplary cases, each marked by its own form of cross-cultural interaction but all traceable to a single narrative: the polygonal network of trade and influence that spanned Eurasia, extending beyond its borders and fostering mutual awareness and curiosity on a massive scale. From our atlas of microhistories, a macrohistory thus emerges in which pre-modern globality appears as a state of unstable equilibrium, yet open to countless possibilities.” - Salvatore Settis
Global Antiquity
Fondazione Prada, Milan, 5th November 2026 - 1 March 2027
'The research project “Global Antiquity”, curated by Salvatore Settis, Anna Anguissola, and Chiara Ballestrazzi, in a set designed by Rem Koolhaas and AMO/OMA, offering an unprecedented perspective on the interactions between the cultures of the Mediterranean and those of Asia over a broad timespan, from approximately 700 BC to 1000 AD.
Through an accurate selection of over 150 artworks and artifacts, “Global Antiquity” offers a unique perspective on the artistic, cultural, commercial, and political ties that, over 1,700 years of history, connected peoples and cultures from the Mediterranean to Asia, across continents and seas. Each of the objects on display, coming from different parts of the world, becomes a narrative element that attests to meaningful connections between two or more geographic regions and societies, often far apart from each other. From this perspective, where an artifact is found is just as important as where it was originally produced. Connecting these points on a world map reveals a multitude of trade routes and political, cultural, economic, and religious ties that extend far beyond the so-called Silk and Spice Roads. The ancient world emerges as a dense and dynamic web of exchange extending across continents.
“Global Antiquity” highlights the close and reciprocal nature of these connections that did not simply develop along linear one-way pathways but formed a fluid and constantly evolving polygonal network. By showcasing unexpected “Mediterranean” presences in China, or displaying a female statuette of the Indian subcontinent that arrived in Pompeii before the AD 79 eruption, the exhibition creates a space-time short circuit, prompting us to rethink our view of history and reflect on the present from a long-term perspective.'
- Fondazione Prada
For more information on the exhibition see the Fondazione Prada website.
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Ewer, Sasanian Empire, Iran south of the Caspian Sea, 6-7th century, silver, with gilding and niello; h. 45.5 cm