Global Antiquity

An ancient Indian ivory statuette discovered in Pompeii offers a glimpse into the far-reaching connections explored in Global Antiquity at Fondazione Prada in Milan. Bringing together more than 150 artworks and artifacts, the exhibition examines cultural exchange across Afro-Eurasia between approximately 600 BCE and 1000 CE. The presentation occupies the foundation’s Podium building, with exhibition design by Rem Koolhaas and AMO/OMA.

Curated by Salvatore Settis, Anna Anguissola, and Chiara Ballestrazzi, the exhibition considers how objects traveled through systems of trade and political contact long before the modern idea of globalization. Their places of discovery become as revealing as their origins. Together, the artifacts trace connections between distant societies across 1,700 years.