PARIS, July 31 (IPS) – As cheers from beach volleyball fans fill the Eiffel Tower stadium on a humid, sunny day, pedestrians across the street are treated to a different kind of show: an outdoor exhibition of giant photographs glittering on the metal railings of UNESCO headquarters.
title Culture in gamesThe exhibition is one of hundreds of artistic and cultural events taking place across France during the 2024 Olympic Games, which will take place in the French capital from July 26 to August 11, alongside numerous sporting events.
The event even has an all-encompassing name, the Cultural Olympiad, and includes photography, painting, sculpture, fashion, and numerous attractions linking art and sports, most of which will continue beyond the Olympic closing ceremony.
UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a “partner” of the Cultural Olympiad, and in addition to hosting the usual meetings with grand speeches from officials, it also presents a series of works that highlight diversity and inclusion.
Culture in gamesFor example, this photo exhibition consists of around 140 memorable photos of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games since 1924, and is exhibited in collaboration with the Olympic Museum in Lausanne.
The images show how national teams have passed on their culture through these spectacular events, and feature athletes like Jamaica’s Usain Bolt, whose “lightning bolt” pose has not only become Olympic folklore, but he has also helped make the green, gold and black of his country’s flag more recognizable.
Inside UNESCO’s octagonal building, a panel focuses on how sport can “change the game,” a theme that runs through all the organization’s “Olympiad” events. (At the “World Ministerial Meeting,” hosted by UNESCO on July 24, just before the Olympics, officials discussed gender equality, inclusion of people with disabilities, and protection of athletes, for example.)
A notable section of the indoor exhibit features historical photographs that pay tribute to athletes whose achievements or actions made a difference. Here, according to the curator, you can see the iconic photo of American athlete Jesse Owens, “the wrench that completely destroyed the Nazi propaganda machine set up during the 1936 Berlin Olympics.”
Owens won four Olympic medals, but as the exhibition notes, despite being hailed as a hero by the public, he “received no (official) recognition in his own country.” Due to racial discrimination in the United States, President Franklin D. Roosevelt refused to congratulate him “for fear of losing votes in the Southern states.” He is pictured on the podium in Berlin, with another competitor behind him giving the “Hitler salute.”
Athletes Who Changed the World Also featured is boxer Mohammad Ali, who was stripped of his world championship title in 1967 for refusing to fight in the Vietnam War and was banned from the ring for three years.
But perhaps the most famous image is that of athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. As the caption reminds viewers, they “kicked off their shoes and walked forward in socks to protest the extreme poverty suffered by African-Americans.” “With solemn faces, Smith and Carlos bowed their heads and raised their black gloved fists in an attempt to raise global awareness of racism in their country.”
The exhibition also outlines the long struggle faced by female athletes and highlights the achievements of Alice Millia, who as president of the French Women’s Sports Federation “campaigned for women’s participation in Olympic sports”. She organized the first women’s Olympic Games in Paris in 1922, bringing together five countries and 77 athletes.
Milliat “died in obscurity” in 1957, but according to the photo caption, “her legacy lives on today, with the Paris 2024 Olympic Games highlighting gender equality in sport, largely thanks to her visionary efforts.”
Likewise, the exhibition highlights the contributions of disabled athletes such as Riyad Salem, who was born without arms and legs and was a victim of the drug thalidomide, which was prescribed to pregnant women in the 1950s and 1960s and caused birth defects in children.
Salem won 15 French championship titles in swimming, and later moved on to team sports such as wheelchair basketball and rugby. His photo is prominently displayed at UNESCO, along with a story about his hopes for the 2024 Paralympic Games and his mission to “promote a positive vision of disability.”
Ahead of the Paralympic Games, which take place in Paris from August 28 to September 8, artists and museums across the city are also paying tribute to Paralympic competitors.
The fencing around the impressive Gare de l’Est (train station) features colourful works by artist Lorenzo Mattoti showing disabled athletes competing in a variety of sports, while the Pantheon presents “The Paralympic Story: From Sport Integration to Social Inclusion (1948-2024)”. According to curators Anne Marcellini and Sylvain Ferez, the exhibition explores “the history of the Paralympics and the challenges of equality”.
For fans of sculpture, Paris is offering a free exhibition of various “Olympiad” works. In June, the city unveiled the official “Sculptural Olympiad,” or Olympic statue, created by African-American artist Allison Sarr, who lives in Los Angeles and draws inspiration from Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
Located near the famous Champs-Élysées avenue, the sculpture depicts a seated African woman holding the Olympic torch in front of the Olympic rings and, according to Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s office, “embodies the Olympic values of inclusivity and peace.”
But when it opened on June 23, some far-right critics on social media felt threatened by the work, sending out hostile comments.
Another female statue, the Venus de Milo, or mythological goddess Aphrodite, has been “reinterpreted” by artistic director Laurent Pervos in six versions to symbolize “feminine” sports disciplines, including boxing, archery and surfing. The statue stands in front of the National Assembly, and the irony will not go unnoticed by most viewers: French women only gained the right to vote in 1944.
Of course, Paris wouldn’t be Paris without certain art forms. As was much discussed at the Olympic Opening Ceremony, fashion is an integral part of the Games, and those who aren’t satisfied with the sometimes questionable array of costumes can head to “La Mode en movement #2” for another dose.
This exhibition at the Palais Galliera/Fashion Museum explores the history of sportswear from the 18th century to the present.Day century, with a particular focus on beachwear. With 250 items on display, visitors are sure to get some tips on what to wear for beach volleyball.
For more information, see Cultural Olympiad (paris2024.org).
© Inter Press Service (2024) — All rights reservedOriginal Source: Inter Press Service
