MANILA, PHILIPPINES — From how objects we use every day are crafted to the different social media platforms we scroll through, art and design are in everything we do. And the 2020 Tokyo Olympics definitely isn’t an exception.
When you think of the Olympics, you think of sports. You think of athletes training and competing to beat record times, nail technical moves, and get the better scores. So, portraying the biggest sports event in history through art may not be the obvious thing to do, but that didn’t stop artists of various mediums from using design to commemorate the Olympics.
Here are some amazing works of design that perfectly capture the Olympic spirit this 2021.
Stealing the show was the performance art that had the internet talking: a fast-paced sequence of three performers acting out the iconic pictograms used to identify each sport. The different wacky but ingenious ways they moved and posed to portray the various logos was unexpectedly the ideal homage to all 33 sports at Tokyo 2020 and perfect kickoff for the Olympics.
2. Google’s Doodle Champion Island Games
Google went all-out this year for its interactive Olympics Doodle with Doodle Champion Island Games, a series of 16-bit mini-games by Studio 4°C . As you play for your chosen team as Lucky the Calico Ninja Cat, you must complete your adventure filled with video game versions of various Olympic events and chances to challenge various characters from Japanese folklore and history.
Directed by Yoshiyuki Momose and produced by Studio Ponoc, Tomorrow’s Leaves is an animated short film about five kids from different islands who have friendly competitions while they work together in an attempt to heal their world. Through its enchanting art and magical story, the film exemplifies what this year’s Olympics — especially after the challenges the world has faced this past year — is about: coming together to bring light to the world again.
The Constant Gardeners | Jason Bruges Studio | July 2020 from Jason Bruges Studio on Vimeo.
Jason Bruges’ “The Constant Gardeners” is an installation commissioned by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Arts Council Tokyo. It consists of robotic arms that draw various moments in the Olympics as they happen on a gravel canvas. Not only does this masterpiece bring together data, technology, art, and sports, but it also marries the futuristic nature of industrial robotics and the tradition of Japanese Zen Gardens.
There have been many stunning cauldrons made for the iconic Olympic flame throughout history, and this year’s design is definitely one of the most unique ones to grace the Olympic stage. This year’s torch relay path ended in a white orb that slowly unfurled to welcome the flame as Naomi Osaka carried the torch to it. The cauldron, designed by Tokujin Yoshioka, has a petal-like shape reminiscent of Japanese cherry blossoms inside the orb and is the first Olympic cauldron to be powered by hydrogen to promote sustainability.
Design isn’t limited to the media we’re used to, and that’s exactly what hundreds of volunteers in the town of Gyoda showed as they commemorated this year’s Tokyo Olympics with a huge work of rice field art. The illustration they crafted included various elements representing Japanese culture — Katsushika Hokusai’s woodblock print designs of a wave and Mount Fuji and a Kabuki actor —to celebrate the culture of this year’s host.
This year, five Olympians and one Paralympian — who are all part of the Olympian Artists in Residence program — created works of art that embody the values that the Olympics champions: excellence, friendship, and respect. Their pieces are hosted in an underground exhibit and are part of the Olympic Agora, the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage’s initiative to bring sports and art together.
Moment Factory, a multimedia studio, set out to create an interactive experience that makes people feel like they are part of the Olympics and remind them of the resilience and spirit of Olympians. With Podium Memories, they achieved this with a light installation shaped like an Olympic Podium that displayed a curation of photos, videos, and sounds from significant moments of triumph in Olympic history.
For more on the Tokyo Olympics, check out these stories:
- Animated film inspired by Olympic values set for worldwide release
- Let the games begin—Google commemorates the start of Tokyo 2020 Olympics with an adventure-filled Google Doodle
- Orocan yarrrn? Ad calls out brands celebrating Hidilyn Diaz’s victory
- The first Olympic gold stamp will be issued in honor of Hidilyn Diaz, the first Filipino Olympic gold medalist
- Manulife Philippines provides Hidilyn Diaz with Php10 million lifetime insurance coverage to celebrate her historic finish
- AirAsia Philippines celebrates first Filipina boxer silver Olympic victory with five years of unli flights
