Artist Alison Saar selected to create Olympic sculpture in Paris
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the City of Paris have chosen Alison Saar, a Los Angeles-based sculpture artist, to produce an artwork that will be installed in the French capital to honour the legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024.
Saar succeeds French artist Xavier Veilhan, who created The Audience (2021) for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
The sculpture is an initiative of Olympic Art Visions, through which the IOC invites a renowned visual artist to create an original artwork inspired by sport and the Olympic values, to be presented in a publicly accessible space in the city hosting the Games.
The programme, unique to the Olympic Movement, builds connections between host cities through an international artistic community that symbolically “passes the torch” across editions of the Games – from Tokyo to Paris to Los Angeles.
It was in the spirit of Tokyo 2020 that French artist Xavier Veilhan’s work The Audience (2021) was permanently installed in the heart of the Japanese capital.
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To reinforce the connection with the next Olympic Games, Los Angeles 2028, a winner was chosen from among a shortlist of leading American artists invited to submit proposals.
An advisory board composed of representatives from the IOC, City of Paris officials, the Paris 2024 Organising Committee and members of the international artistic community unanimously selected Saar, a decision that was confirmed by the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, and IOC President Thomas Bach.
Chosen for the strength of her proposal, her commitment to the Olympic values and the Paris 2024 vision, together with her desire to sustainably produce the work in France, Saar’s sculpture is set to link the City of Lights with the City of Angels.
“I am deeply honoured to have been selected to create the Olympic sculpture,” said Saar. “It is my hope that this work of art, a gift to the people and the city of Paris, will become a gathering space for the public to experience the spirit of friendship and interconnection across cultures and borders.”
In the spirit of Paris 2024, her piece will focus on themes of international diversity, equality and the Olympic principle of promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.
It is also important for her work to “pay tribute to the rich and diverse communities of modern-day France,” said Saar. Every aspect of the commission will be produced in France under her supervision.
“By employing French craftspeople, we are not only reducing our costs and our carbon footprint, we also are supporting local talents and suppliers,” she said.
The sculpture will be officially unveiled and inaugurated in Paris on Olympic Day.
