Where modern and contemporary art holds up a mirror in showing how Paris reinvents the Olympic Games

Words Pio Angelo Ocampo
July 26, 2024

As the world’s top athletes gather in Paris, the city’s art scene voyages through this summer’s events with an array of exhibitions. Both galleries and museums are poised with its series of scheduled shows in tandem with the Olympic Games. Art has long been integral to the modern Games, as championed by its co-founder Pierre de Coubertin (Paris-born former president of the International Olympic Committee), who advocated for a balance of “muscle and mind.” 

Opening July 24th, the Art of Victory in the Centre Pompidou commemorates nearly 40 years of Nike Air innovation at the landmark that inspired the Air Max 1’s design. The Centre Pompidou’s façade will transform into a vibrant canvas showcasing groundbreaking sports stories, creating an immersive experience for all. Tinker Hatfield draws inspiration from the Pompidou’s inside-out architecture, emphasizing the importance of bold, disruptive ideas in both architecture and sneaker design. Visitors can engage with the outdoor space through a public, skateable sculpture, “Cycloid Piazza” (2024), created by French artist Raphael Zarka and architect Jean-Benoît Vétillard. Running from July 24 to August 11, daily programming will celebrate various sports, including running, basketball, global football, and skateboarding.

Gagosian’s Paris gallery returns with The Art of the Olympics, following its 2019 show, An Exhibition for Notre-Dame. This exhibition spans two locations on Rue de Castiglione and Rue de Ponthieu, showcasing works by Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Tracey Emin, and Pierre Soulages, among others, who have depicted sports in various forms. Highlights include Andreas Gursky’s aerial photo “Amsterdam, Arena I” (2000), Christo’s “Running Fence” drawing, and Marc Newson’s “Black Surfboard” (2017). With this expansive curatorial show that blends the world of sports and art, artwork sales proceeds go to the Olympic Refuge Foundation.

Until November 17, Le Petit Palais presents Le corps en mouvement (“The Body in Motion”), a free exhibition featuring 50 diverse works showcasing human movement from antiquity to modern times. Highlights include a 490 B.C.E. statue of a discus thrower, Sèvres porcelain vases awarded as trophies at the 1924 Paris Olympics, and Augustin Rouart’s painting “The Swimmer” (1943), illustrating the theme of the body in suspense. The exhibition also explores the emancipation of women in sports, noting the increase from 22 female competitors in the 1900 Paris Olympics to full gender parity at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The Musée du Luxembourg presents Match, an exhibition exploring the symbiotic relationship between design and sport. The show delves into how design enhances athletic performance through materials, ergonomics, and aesthetics while showcasing the mutual inspiration between sports and top designers across various industries, including automotive and fashion. As part of the Olympiade Culturelle program, Match highlights the future developments at the intersection of design and sport, emphasizing their ongoing influence on each other. Located in the 6th district of Paris, Match runs from March 13 to August 11, 2024.

Paris 2024 features a vast, multidisciplinary program of free and ticketed events, exhibitions, shows, and performances throughout the summer. Visit https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024 for more information about the Games.