In Ancient Greece, art and sport were seen as perfect partners. The ideal was to achieve harmony by exercising both the body and the mind.
Pierre de Coubertin adopted this ideal for the modern Olympic Games and proposed including art and culture in the programme of the Games. On his initiative, architecture, sculpture, painting, literature and music competitions were part of the Olympic Games from 1912 to 1948.
Nowadays, the competitions have been replaced with cultural programmes that are completely separate from the sports competitions. Plays, concerts, ballets and exhibitions are held in the city, region and even the country hosting the Games.
Numerous artists, designers, architects, choreographers and musicians play an active part in the success of the Games, be it through the construction of stadiums and other competition venues, the Look of the Games (logos, pictograms and mascots) or the opening and closing ceremonies.
Pierre de Coubertin adopted this ideal for the modern Olympic Games and proposed including art and culture in the programme of the Games. On his initiative, architecture, sculpture, painting, literature and music competitions were part of the Olympic Games from 1912 to 1948.
Nowadays, the competitions have been replaced with cultural programmes that are completely separate from the sports competitions. Plays, concerts, ballets and exhibitions are held in the city, region and even the country hosting the Games.
Numerous artists, designers, architects, choreographers and musicians play an active part in the success of the Games, be it through the construction of stadiums and other competition venues, the Look of the Games (logos, pictograms and mascots) or the opening and closing ceremonies.