Artwork from Olympian artists at heart of Olympic Agora digital programme for Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022

February 2, 2022 – Specially commissioned work from seven Olympian artists will feature in the second edition of the Olympic Agora to celebrate the upcoming start of Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

The Olympic Agora is a space to bring together sport, art and culture, inviting digital audiences to explore Olympic ideals and the global cultural and social impact of the games.

The Beijing Olympic Agora is put together by the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage (OFCH) and follows the success of the inaugural Olympic Agora Tokyo 2020. Both programmes have been almost entirely digital due to Covid-19 pandemic safety.

The Beijing Olympic Agora features seven creative Olympians, whose artworks on the magic of winter sports are inspired by Olympic values. The work spans painting, art photography, graphic design and chinese brush painting. The artists are:

Cameron Myler USA, Luge, Calgary 1988, Albertville 1992, Lillehammer 1994, Nagano 1998

Christopher Coleman USA, Bobsleigh, Albertville 1992 and Lillehammer 1994

Laurenne Ross USA, Skiing, Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018

Neil Eckersley Great Britain, Judo, Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988

Gao Min China, Diving, Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992

Ye Qiaobo China, Speed Skating, Albertville 1992 and Lillehammer 1994

Kader Klouchi Algeria, Long Jump, Barcelona 1992

The Olympic Agora also features two live educational events based on the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) led by Olympic artists Neil Eckersley and Kader Klouchi on 9 and 16 February. The curriculum uses art as an informal teaching approach to encourage children to explore Olympic values and ideals through creative expression.

Rounding off the Agora programme is a journey to the past: ‘Nostalgia’ is an online exhibition of rare, vintage, black-and-white photographs that capture the origins of the Olympic Winter Games from the first Winter Competitions held at London 1908. It includes Chamonix 1924 and Grenoble 1968. The photos are being publicly displayed for the first time.

Olympian Artists-in-Residence

Launched by the OFCH at PyeongChang 2018, the Olympian Artists-in-Residence programme celebrates the link between sport and culture by offering opportunities to athletes with artistic interests to produce and present new artworks during and between editions of the Olympic Games. Every edition of the programme is an opportunity for audiences to discover a community of multi-faceted Olympians and their inspirational stories.

Olympic Values Education Programme

OVEP is a set of free and accessible learning and teaching tools designed to inspire young people through the Olympic values of excellence, respect and friendship. Using the context of Olympic sports and the core principles of Olympism, the OVEP curriculum communicates the benefits of sport and physical activity, and their impact on individual health, enjoyment and social responsibility.

The Olympic Games Beijing 2022 will take place from 4 to 20 February 2022 and will be followed by the Paralympic Games from 4 to 13 March 2022.