The Rio Olympics have been a super hit with many records made and broken, but this year, the art scene surrounding the Games deserves some spotlight too. From murals to installations to digital projects, this season, we have seen it all! Here are a few shining examples of true love for the Games and beautiful art and design in one.
1.The Official Posters
The Olympic Posters have been a tradition dating back to the Games of 1912 and have been a large part of the promotion of the Games within the country and today – thanks to the internet – the world! The Rio Olympics Official Posters steal the cake for this season as the set was unveiled a few months before the Games began. The project includes 13 artists hailing from Brazil with a unique style each.
Image Courtesy: Alexandre Mancini, Rico Lins
The original works were on display at galleries in Rio. Each work is a unique piece that explores the cariation in style of each artist within the country. The works are chosen by the Organizing Committee of the Games and preserved as artifacts long after the games.
The artists that contributed to the 15 Gustavo GrecoOfficial Posters are Alexandre Mancini, Antônio Dias, Beatriz Milhazes, Claudio Tozzi, Ana Clara Schindler, Gringo Cardia, Gustavo Piqueira, Guto Lacaz, Juarez Machado and Rico Lins, Olga Amaral among others.
2. JR’s Installations
French artist JR, as part of the Olympics artists-in-residence programme, has created breath-taking, larger than life installations all over Rio as a part of the art scene of the city. JR refrained from portraying any athletes from the mainstream and focused on bringing the underdogs of sport to the limelight and lifting each sport for its pure technicality far above its paragons. The installations are deliberately left with prominent supports to highlight the support our athletes require to achieve what they do.
Images courtesy : JR
3. The Drawlympics
Curated by Mr. Lemonade, The Drawlympics is a project consisting of works by 45 artists from Latin America, all inspired by the Games. The works are mostly illustration based and have a whole new perspective on the world of sport.
Images courtesy : Drawlympics on behance
The works are all true to each illustrators style but in general have a quirky and modernized take on the Games. The pieces are on display at Red Bermelo, a design shop in Monterrey. The project is a graphic designers paradise and a real treat for anyone who enjoys pop culture.
Images courtesy : Drawlympics on Behance
The project in its entirety can be viewed here.
4. Educardo Cobra’s Murals
Educardo Kobra is a Brazilian street artist known for making vibrant murals at cities across the globe. He paid tribute to the Olympics by painting portraits of people of different ethnicities and titled the work, Etnias, which covers more than a colossal 30,000 square feet of a formerly abandoned warehouse. He captioned the work “Todos somos um” translating to “We are all one”.
Image courtesy : Twitter, Paulo Mumia
The mural forms an important part of the ‘Olympic boulevard’ which is a three-kilometer strip that included big screens, live music, and nightly firework displays during the Games.
5. Humorous Illustrations by Andre Gola
Illustrator Andre Gola shared his take on the Rio Olympics by creating some creative and thought-provoking cartoons on his instagram.
Images Courtesy : Instagram
6. Olympops
The brain child of London-based team Animade, Olympops are a bubbly tribute to the Rio Olympics. The Olympops are essentially characters acting out skits based on a different sports and what makes them even better is that they are literal balloons!
The team released five characters with a backstory leading to the finale which was a webisode posted on Vimeo where the characters meet!
Image courtesy : Animade
Check out more on Animade over here. Watch the final video here!
7. Almost Google Doodles
Although they did not make it onto the official Google homepage, Leo Natsume‘s Olympics inspired Google doodles are quirky and interactive; and would have probably been super fun to spend hours playing while procrastinating or waiting up for the next event to air!
Image courtesy : Leo’s behance
Check out the project here!
These artworks blend perfectly the perseverance required in sports and the expression found in art. It is true that creativity can be displayed in several ways and these artists, with their innovative ideas and installations, are the quintessential examples of that!
