03 April 2024 - In the lead-up to the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the Olympic Museum and the Paris tourism office, “Paris je t’aime”, have announced the public opening of their co-production, “SPOT24 – the Olympic Exhibition on Sport and Urban Cultures”.
An interactive exhibition space next to the Eiffel Tower shines a light on six new and urban Olympic sports and disciplines: skateboarding, sport climbing, BMX freestyle, surfing, 3x3 basketball and breaking, and the vibrant cultures surrounding them.
The exhibition, which can be visited in Paris until 31 December, 2024, was inspired by the Olympic Museum’s most successful temporary exhibition to date: “Riding the Olympic Wave”, presented from 2022 to 2023 in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Its adaptation, presented at SPOT24, was curated by François Gautret, creator of the landmark “Hip-Hop 360” exhibition at the Philharmonie de Paris. The innovative space reinforces the connection between Paris and its vibrant street culture, inviting visitors to experience objects and images from the Olympic Museum’s collections, and original creations by French and international artists.
“SPOT24 takes a fresh look at the sporting practices and communities that originated in the streets and are now part of the popular imagination,” said Gautret. “Through artworks, original creations, objects and archives, I wanted to convey this shared desire to tell the story of these disciplines, but also to connect with what is being done today.”
Among the artworks and artefacts on display are a prototype of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic torch, original frescoes by artist PichiAvo, posters and watches from the legendary Keith Haring x Swatch collection, the personal vinyl collection of famous New York record dealer Lord Funk and a surfboard from Olympian Kelly Slater (USA).
Visitors can also explore an area designed by artist Nicolas Pierre dedicated to “finger skating” in miniature Paris streets, and photos and sculptures by Léo Caillard.
“It is a genuine pleasure and an honour to be involved with Paris je t’aime to breathe life into SPOT24,” said Yasmin Meichtry, Associate Director of the Olympic Museum. “We are proud to see the contents of our successful ‘Riding the Olympic Wave’ exhibition grow and evolve into a new innovative hub in Paris."
The creative vision of François Gautret and the SPOT24 team of artists and athletes pays spectacular homage to urban sports culture and to the new sports that will feature in the Olympic Games.
Yasmin Meichtry - Associate Director of the Olympic Museum
“SPOT24 will no doubt encourage dialogue between culture and sport for future generations, thus embodying the next chapter of the Olympic Movement,” concluded Meichtry.
The themes in “Riding the Olympic Wave” resonated with audiences not just in Lausanne and Paris, as the exhibition is also set to travel all the way to Australia. Another adaptation will open in a co-production with the National Museum of Australia in Canberra on 31 May.
“Riding the Olympic Wave – Breakthrough Sports” will feature objects from both museums’ collections, a new digital experience and original works from a local Australian artist.
“SPOT24 is a project at the heart of the Olympic system that reflects the contemporary values of our destination,” said Corinne Menegaux, Managing Director of Paris je t’aime. “The new Olympic disciplines and urban cultures are strong markers of our cultural identity. SPOT24 is a fantastic way of reaching out to everyone, visitors and Parisians alike, and highlights the local Paris that is an integral part of Paris je t’aime.”
The SPOT24 exhibition has been awarded the “Cultural Olympiad” label by Paris 2024. For more information, please visit the Olympic Museum’s website.
