Three artists to create and share their vision of the Games in Rio
For the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, an artist, JR, a writer, Tilman Spengler, and a digital talent, Gerald Andal will take part in the new artists-in-residence programme at the Olympic Games Rio 2016.
The three artists will take part in the artists-in-residence programme, which was initiated through Recommendation 26 of Olympic Agenda 2020 - the strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement - to “further strengthen the blending of sport and culture at the Olympic Games and in between”.
JR: The “Giants” and “Inside Out project Rio 2016”
JR is a French contemporary artist best known for his huge black-and-white images pasted all over the world. Exhibiting freely in city streets, his work mixes art and action, and evokes commitment, freedom, identity and boundaries. Inspired by those athletes who are not well known but who embody and embrace the universal language of sport, JR has created three “Giant” black-and-white photo installations. Representing athletes practising high jump, swimming or diving, these installations on large-scale scaffolds can be seen in the Flamengo, Barra da Tijuca and Botafogo areas in Rio de Janeiro.
The other project, named #IOPRio2016, aims to give a face to the people who are and who make the Olympic Games. Athletes, spectators, residents of the host city, visitors and volunteers all contribute to the success of the Games and thereby deserve to be highlighted. Exhibiting this series of black-and-white portraits in the open air thus encapsulates the universality of the Games. For more details, visit the dedicated website at www.insideoutproject.net/rio2016/en/.
Tilman Spengler: a “graphic novel” inspired by the Olympic Games Rio 2016
German writer, sinologist and literary editor Tilman Spengler is the author of more than a dozen books, which have been translated into 21 languages. In Rio, he will be drawing inspiration from the athletes and the Games to write a “graphic novel” as, in his view, at the Olympic Games “there is a plethora of themes and motives and public stages for performances, richer than in any opera”.
Gerald Andal: a Viner-in-residence to capture the vibrancy of Rio
Gerald Andal is from Columbia, South Carolina (USA), and he likes to make Vines. He has always had an appreciation for video, even as a child. At Rio, his Vines will show a side of the Olympic Games that most people may not get a chance to see. He wants to capture the vibrancy of Rio de Janeiro, the energy and rhythm of the events and all the moods and emotions that are triggered, as long as they are universal. Follow Gerald Andal on Vine (Gerald Andal) and on Twitter @gereezi.