Museum Beauty Contest: Paco Cao Brings Pageantry to Rome's GNAM
Artist Paco Cao appeared on the Italian talent show Tu sì que vales on November 19, 2016, reaching nearly 5 million viewers on Canale 5. He presented his project Museum Beauty Contest, which invites the public to vote for the most beautiful figure depicted in artworks at the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (GNAM) in Rome, crowning Miss and Mister Galleria Nazionale 2017. The initiative was first staged in 2014 at the Museo Bellas Artes de Asturias in Oviedo, Spain. GNAM director Cristiana Collu invited Cao to reprise the project in Rome, describing it as a bridge between museum and television. Collu explained the work on air to hosts Maria De Filippi and Gerry Scotti. The article questions the artistic merit of selecting a 'beautiful' painting or model among works by Modigliani and de Chirico, and criticizes the project as potentially trivial.
Key facts
- Paco Cao appeared on Tu sì que vales on November 19, 2016.
- The show aired on Canale 5 and reached nearly 5 million viewers.
- Cao's project is called Museum Beauty Contest.
- The contest elects Miss and Mister Galleria Nazionale 2017.
- Votes are cast by the public for figures in artworks at GNAM.
- The project was first presented in 2014 at Museo Bellas Artes de Asturias in Oviedo, Spain.
- GNAM director Cristiana Collu invited Cao to bring the project to Rome.
- Collu appeared on the show with hosts Maria De Filippi and Gerry Scotti.
Entities
Artists
- Paco Cao
- Amedeo Modigliani
- Giorgio de Chirico
Institutions
- Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea
- Museo Bellas Artes de Asturias
- Canale 5
- Artribune
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Oviedo
- Spain