Miniature Armies. Models from the collections of the War Museum

Colonia Pavese, a former holiday camp in Torbole sul Garda, hosts this exhibition about the different uses of models in the military. Objects and documents from the collections of Rovereto’s War Museum can be seen, along with important loans from other collections. Particular attention is given to the cultural importance of modelling, looking beyond the technical aspect to explore the context of leisure time.

Since ancient times, reproducing objects to scale has been part of everyday life. Yet, the practice has changed over time: from devotional objects used in burials or as votive offerings, to models for increasingly complex purposes.

Before the digital age, reproducing battlefields to scale was an important tool for defining military tactics and strategies. Models were used as prototypes for military equipment but also as sculptures or memorials.

In colonial times, models reproducing scenes from distant conquered lands sparked a taste for the exotic in the civilian population. The 20th century saw modelling, in its broadest sense, become a means of making scale reconstructions of significant historical events. Only in the last few decades have models become collector’s items and toys.

The exhibition examines these different aspects, offering a glimpse into the evolution of military modelling through models, dioramas and figures. The project is enriched by collaborations with numerous modelling and collector’s associations, who will organise activities and events for the exhibition’s opening.

With the collaboration of: Autonomous Province of Trento, municipality of Nago Torbole, Bim dell’Adige.

Source: http://www.museodellaguerra.it/portfolio/armate-in-miniatura/?lang=en