08 Apr 2022 – Art photography that showcases the role of sport as a catalyst for social development and peace, will be presented at an international art fair in Italy. Led by the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage (OFCH), the exhibition opens at the Milan Image Art Fair (MIA) on 28 April and features 45 works by renowned Italian photographers Alex Majoli and Lorenzo Vitturi. The work is part of the “Olympism Made Visible” series, which explores the role of sport as a key driver of social development and peace.

The OFCH commissioned Majoli and Vitturi in 2018 as part of this art photography initiative to shine a unique artistic spotlight onto the work of selected sport-for-development organisations active in Brazil and Cambodia. The special display at the MIA Fair marks the first time that these photographs will be publicly presented at a photo fair in Europe.

Alex Majoli is world-renowned photographer acknowledged for his documentation of war and conflict. His set includes 33 photographs that were created when he visited two organisations in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro: Fight for Peace and One Win Leads to Another. Fight for Peace is an international NGO that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education to help realise the potential of young people from communities affected by crime and violence. One Win Leads to Another is a community-based programme committed to building leadership skills and confidence in adolescent girls through sport.

Lorenzo Vitturi is a visual artist, photographer and sculptor based in London. Formerly a cinema set painter, Vitturi brings that experience into his photography, which captures the intersection of photography, sculpture and performance. Vitturi’s photography series, entitled “Skateistan: Empowering Youth Through Skateboarding and Education”, showcases the impact of the NGO Skateistan and its Skate School in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, one of the poorest countries in Asia.

Vitturi’s 12 framed prints on display at the photo fair were inspired by the programmes run by Skateistan to meet the needs of children from low-income neighbourhoods. Learning about the technical skills and creative expression involved in skateboarding, the children also learn important life skills, such as teamwork, and making friends.

“While the Olympic spirit comes to life through the magic of each edition of the Olympic Games, it also lives far beyond this great sporting event, due to the efforts of global organisations such as the ones highlighted in this series,” said Angelita Teo, Director of the OFCH. “These works give visibility to critical issues that call for continued global solidarity, and promote the notion of sport as a universal human right; for the joy, excellence, respect and friendship that it engenders.”

Olympism Made Visible is an international art photography project led by the OFCH, to reveal the Olympic values and their impact when sport is placed at the service of humankind through community-based development initiatives in areas such as humanitarian assistance, the promotion of peace, or health and well-being through sport. The series featuring several acclaimed world-renowned photographers, aims to bring positive recognition to organisations and individuals around the world who put Olympism into action at the grassroots level, in often challenging circumstances.

The Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage drives the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s cultural and values-based educational activities. Dedicated to the international promotion and dissemination of Olympism, the OFCH includes the IOC Heritage Unit; the IOC Olympic Studies Centre; the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland; and the International Cultural Affairs Unit.

Olympism Made Visible