The contest
A meticulous selection of portraits from the National Gallery of Contemporary and Modern Art in Rome has been curated to comprise the group of contestants for a Beauty Contest, directed by the artist Paco Cao.
The selection
The selection of the contestants involved the active participation of the entire museum staff, from the Director to the curatorial, education, and restoration teams, with special attention given to the security guards, considering their daily and constant relationship with the artworks.The Beauty Contest has established two categories: female and male;
Ritratto di Isa in abito nero (1935) by Giorgio de ChiricoLa Galleria Nazionale
Meditazione (1880) by Cesare DettiLa Galleria Nazionale
The most beautiful person
The objective is to select the most beautiful person in each category, based on physical appearance, demeanor, and attitude, independently of the style or technical quality of the works. The jury is the audience.
Ritratto di Costanza Monti Perticari (1819) by Filippo AgricolaLa Galleria Nazionale
A gallery of the finalists - Female candidates
In the Primaries, the first phase of the contest, 18 males and 18 females will be chosen from the 35 males and 35 females initially selected. Only online vote will be available.
Polymnia (1909) by John LaveryLa Galleria Nazionale
Ritratto di Palma Bucarelli (1945) by Alberto SavinioLa Galleria Nazionale
A gallery of the finalists - male candidates
In the last phase of the contest, the contestants will be displayed in the Museum’s main gallery and the voting process will include online as well as in-person participation, the latter following the traditional method of casting a ballot in a box.
Ritratto del Principe Aleksandr Ivanovic Barjatinskij (1837) by Horace VernetLa Galleria Nazionale
Ritratto di Gaetano dell'Acqua (1851) by Nicola ConsoniLa Galleria Nazionale
And the winner is...
The contest culminated with the celebration of the Grand Finale, an award ceremony to proclaim the winners in each category, Miss and Mister National Gallery of Contemporary and Modern Art in Rome, as well as to grant several honorific prizes.
Tap to explore
Nudo Accademico (1810) by Artista sconosciutoLa Galleria Nazionale
Sogni (1896) by Vittorio CorcosLa Galleria Nazionale