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Sport and culture, the spirit of Ancient Greece and the thousands of missing spectators for this year’s Olympics will be celebrated in a series of installations celebrating the event in Tokyo
Tom Anstey | Planet Attractions | 01 Jul 2021
Icho Kaori cut the ceremonial ribbon alongside Tokyo 2020 president Hashimoti Seiko, Japanese Olympic Committee president Yamashita Yasuhiro, Mitsui Fudosan CEO Komoda Masanobu and mayor of Chuo ward Yamamoto Taito Credit: olympics.com
Four time Olympic wrestling champion Icho Kaori did the honours of cutting the ribbon for the opening of Tokyo’s first Olympic Agora cultural hub.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which are set to open in the Japanese capital next month after being delayed by a year because of the pandemic, will be celebrated in the Olympic Agora, which has been inspired by the public meeting places of Ancient Greece - the birthplace of the sporting spectacle.
Set in the historic Nihonbashi district of Japan’s capital, the Agora features a number of outdoor art installations, including an exhibition of artwork by Olympian and Paralympian athletes, a gold medal display and other iconic artefacts from the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, and a photographic exhibition by leading Japanese artist Kawauchi Rinko. In addition, artist Tojiki Makoto has created a large-scale light sculpture called Solidarity and Collaboration, which takes inspiration from the relay race in track and field.
The Audience was created as a reminder of the times as well as the spirit of the Games and Tokyo 2020 CREDIT: OLYMPICS.COM
One of the Agora’s key installations, is a newly-commissioned, site-specific sculpture by French artist Xavier Veilhan.
Titled The Audience, is a permanent installation at the site, and represents the spectators who were unable to attend the Games due to the pandemic. It includes five life-sized human figures of various ages, genders and nationalities who are united together, like an audience, to symbolise universality, which is a core value of the Olympic Games. To emphasise this relationship, the artist has used the colours of the Olympic rings for each of the five sculptures.
“The sculpture is intentionally a tribute to the audience of the Olympic Games, going beyond the sporting feats that are usually celebrated and bring the focus to non-heroic figures, to highlight the importance of the public,” said Veilhan.
“This year in particular the public - the audience - is somewhat the missing star of the Olympic Games. It is for me a reason to give existence to the international public, who may be absent physically but all the more watching throughout the world. The sculpture will be its ambassador."
Six former Olympic and Paralympic athletes who are currently artists in residence are also set to display work. They include Ciara Michel (Great Britain, Volleyball, London 2012), Slaven Dizdarević (Slovak Republic, Track and Field, Beijing 2008), Kelly Salchow MacArthur (USA, Rowing Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004), Gregory Burns (USA, Swimming, Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, and Sydney 2000), Roald Bradstock (Great Britain, Track and Field, Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988), and Hannah Wilkinson (New Zealand, Football, London 2012 and Rio 2016).
With the pandemic restricting movement around much of the world, those who cannot attend the Agora in person will be able to enjoy virtual tours, artists talks and multimedia installations through both the Olympic Agora website and The Olympic Museum’s social media channels.
The Agora exhibition will run from July 1 to August 15.
Solidarity and Collaboration features two large figures in relay motion, in a timely exploration of collaboration, shared responsibility and human potential in team play CREDIT: OLYMPICS.COM
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