Eterno Femminino (The Eternal Feminine) aims to inhabit the boundary between archetype and stereotype, exploring the distance—and the hidden continuities—between these two forms of representation. It is a boundary charged with power, control, and narrative. The project's aim is to open up spaces for reflection and creation, where artistic language in all its forms can restore to the Feminine the complexity and plurality of its meanings, bridging memory and contemporaneity.
Drawing on the study of Paleolithic and Neolithic art, and in particular on female imagery and the so-called Venus figurines, the project seeks to foster a metahistorical reflection on the meaning of the Feminine. Timeless, poised between archetype and stereotype, the image of woman has undergone profound transformations over the centuries. The survey of a selection of casts from the Museum and Institute of Prehistory in Florence, together with the reproduction of several Venus figurines—both at their original scale and in enlarged versions—offers an opportunity to reinterpret the symbolism and the deeper meanings embodied by the female figure as archetype. At the same time, the project encourages critical reflection on the representations and narratives associated with femininity, inviting artists, students, and the public to engage with stereotypes by reinterpreting, deconstructing, or simply observing them from new perspectives. The project has fostered a dialogue between art, research, and innovation through the involvement of several laboratories from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano, which have contributed expertise, technologies, and tools to support the development of the exhibited works.
Eternal Feminine: Between Archetype and Stereotype is a social responsibility project of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano, conceived by Cultura Meccanica® (Francesca Brambilla and Marco Bocciolone) and curated by Francesca Brambilla, Filippo Invernizzi, and Fabio Martini.
Alongside the casts of the Venus figurines, the exhibition features works by contemporary artists including Nicolò Tomaini, the Cracking Art collective, Alessandro Verdi, Romeo Sozzi of Promemoria, Annalaura di Luggo, Simona Uberto, Andrea Mariconti, Elena Ricci Paracciani, and many others.
ETERNO FEMMININO
PoliMi - Polo Territoriale Lecco
Lecco, Via Gaetano Previati, 1/c
12-20 September 2026
10 AM – 7 PM
free entrance