A new initiative by BAM, the acronym for Biblioteca degli Alberi Milano, a public park in central Milan, invites locals and visitors to reflect on the values of sport through an interactive community art project launched during the 2026 Winter Olympics<\/p>\n
MILAN — A project in Olympics<\/a> host city Milan has invited parkgoers to reflect on the values of sport \u2014 both figuratively and literally.<\/p>\n \u201cTogether to Reflect\u201d was conceived as a collective artwork that takes shape as slender stakes topped with mirrors, on which people write their thoughts about sports and the Games. <\/p>\n Anthony Cardamone was scrolling through Instagram when the initiative caught his eye. That prompted him to head to a corner of the public park known by its Italian acronym BAM with his wife and 7-year-old daughter on Sunday. It was the only day scheduled for people to write their messages.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, sport is about being together, it\u2019s about sharing and measuring your own abilities,\u201d said Cardamone, whose daughter wrote the word \u201cbrave\u201d on one of the dozens of mirrored flowers.<\/p>\n \u201cThis activity helps her understand why sport is important and how beautiful it can be,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n The project was developed by BAM and NABA, Milan\u2019s academy of fine arts.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen people think about the Olympics, they often think only about sports, but the Games are not just about the athletes and the medals,\u201d said Francesca Colombo, BAM’s cultural general director. \u201cThey are about values and this is where culture is so powerful; because through art \u2014 music, dance, ballet \u2014 it can transmit these values.\u201d<\/p>\n Roberta Massaccesi, a sports enthusiast who happened to be strolling through BAM when she spotted the mirrors, said her son asked to participate. He made a drawing expressing that sports are good for everyone.<\/p>\n \u201cWe just went to a hockey match and it was the first time for me and him to join an Olympic event,\u201d Massaccessi said. \u201cIt was amazing!\u201d<\/p>\n Students from NABA were among volunteers at the exhibition. Professor Chiara Vico said the mirrors enable people to see their face as they share their thoughts.<\/p>\n \u201cThe idea is that, for a moment, the written thoughts and the person expressing it overlap,\u201d Vico said. \u201cSo your reflection and your message become one.\u201d<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n AP Olympics: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics<\/a><\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n