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EXPLORING THE LOOK OF THE GAMES

10.05.2018 −17.03.2019

Visit Guide

2IntroductionOlympic Language Visit Guide

Olympic LanguageExploring the Look of the Games

This Visit Guide is part of a series of documents intended for teachers, to help them prepare for a visit to The Olympic Museum with their class. It contains a suggested route and activi-ties to try during the exhibition visit, to help guide the pupils.

After the exhibition visit, the “Design your Games” multimedia workshop allows the pupils to explore the topic further by creating their own imaginary poster for the Winter Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020.

For more details, check out: www.olympic.org/education.

Published by © IOC, The Olympic Museum, Lausanne 1st edition, 2018

Authors Cultural and Educational Programmes Unit

Graphic Design DidWeDo s.à.r.l.

Images Copyrights © IOC or specified below each image

This document is also available in English, French and German.

It can be downloaded from: www.olympic.org/education.

Olympic Language: Exploring the Look of the Games 10.05.2018 – 17.03.2019

Non-guided exhibition visit

The teacher takes their pupils around the exhibition independently.

“Design your Games” multimedia workshop

An activity leader welcomes the class and talks to the pupils about the Olympic posters. Together, they will then create their own poster using a tablet.

Length: 30 minutes; reservation needed. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (last session).Min. 15, max. 25 pupils/children per group, ages 6 and upwards.

Self-guided visits

Teachers can reserve a tablet. This contains a digital version of the visit guide to help take their class around the exhibitions.

Practical information

- Monday to Friday, from May to October - Tuesday to Friday, from November to April

1 accompanying adult obligatory and free of charge per 10 pupils/children. All the activities are available in English, French and German. Access to the temporary exhibition is free of charge.

A fee of CHF 10 per pupil/child includes a tablet for a self-guided visit and/or an interactive workshop linked to the temporary exhibition. It also includes a ticket to visit the Olympic Museum’s permanent exhibition.

All groups are asked to inform the Museum of their visit beforehand.

Information and reservations: [email protected]; +41 21 621 66 85


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Visit breakdown

Located in different areas of the Museum, these exhibitions explore Olympic creativity in all its facets:

• In the Focus area (level +1): The main exhibition transports visitors into the graphic universe of three editions that have marked the visual history of the Olympic Games! The Look of Mexico City 1968, with its modern take on ancient tradition; that of Munich 1972, with its grid system; and that of Lillehammer 1994, with its Nordic design, are presented in detail.

Visitors then go on to discover the visual identity of other editions of the Games.

A digital timeline allows visitors to explore the cultural and artistic trends, history and environment, and local traditions that influenced the creative process of the various Looks of the Games!

• In the Galerie (level +2): An exhibition invites visitors to discover the Olympic mascots. From the first official mascot, Waldi, in Munich in 1972, to Soohorang for the Winter Games Pyeong-Chang 2018, these popular figures serve as ambassadors for the Games!

• In the Museum Park: Decorations recall the visual atmosphere of the Olympic Games Mexico City 1968. In the Pavilion, there are photographs of various host cities illustrating their own Look of the Games. On one of the terraces, a giant Cobi, the mascot for the Games in Barcelona in 1992, welcomes visitors.

• In the Art Lounge (niv. -1) : To mark the 50th anniversary of the 1968 Games in Mexico City, an exhibition takes a look at the cultural programme for these Games.

Olympic LanguageTo celebrate the creative genius of the cities hosting the Olympic Games, The Olympic Museum is exploring the theme of the visual identity of the Games.

From 10 May 2018 until 17 March 2019, a programme of exhibitions enables visitors to discover the work of the designers and graphic artists who have developed the Look of the Games for various editions of the world’s biggest sports event.


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Visit route

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5. The futureAt

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Toky

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Tokyo

London

4.Lillehammer 1994,the crystal blue

Games

2.Mexico City 1968: Moving towardsan integral Look

3.Munich 1972,

missionperfection

1.What is the

Look of the Games?

Timeline

Rings

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Game on theemblems

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6. Mascots’club

5Visit breakdown Olympic Language Visit Guide

1. What is the Look of the Games?

Focus: The Olympic rings A highly powerful symbol, the five rings are the visual represen-tation of Olympism. They were designed by Pierre de Coubertin himself. The five rings represent the five continents. They are interlinked to express the universality of Olympism and the coming together of athletes from all over the world for the Olympic Games.

On the Olympic flag, the rings appear on a white background. Combined like this, the six colours of the flag (blue, yellow, black, green, red and white) represent all the nations. Each national flag has at least one of these six colours. It is therefore wrong to think that each of the colours is linked to a particular continent.

Today, the symbol is one of the most recognised ones on the planet. Its use is therefore subject to very strict rules enacted by the International Olympic Committee.

Creativity and design have played, and continue to play, a key role in the history of the Games and the Olympic Movement. From the creation of the five rings, which have become one of the most globally recognised symbols, to the development of visual identities for each edition of the Olympic Games, this exhibition tells this incredible storye.

For each edition of the Olympic Games, a country is chosen to host this global event and present itself to the world. This gives the country, with its culture, language and codes, the task of communicating with spectators from all over the world. What a challenge! But when this is done successfully, the country’s image is changed forever.

IN THE EXHIBITION

• A game on the emblems and their sources of inspiration.

• A panorama of the five key stages from the creation of the rings to their current version.

• A digital timeline.

ACTIVITIES

• Close your eyes and imagine the flag of a particular country. How many of the colours of the Olympic symbol does it contain?

• Play the emblems game together, and then imagine which symbol could represent your class.

• Think together about the notions behind emblems (which represent an idea or values) and logos (which represent a brand). Where do you find these in everyday life?

Sketch by Pierre de Coubertin of the Olympic emblem in a letter from 1913.

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2. Mexico City 1968: Moving towards an integral Look

Focus: The emblemThis emblem, born from the imagination of Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, was totally in tune with the age, with its psychedelic and folk influences. The number “68” is integrated with the five rings and appears to send out an infinite series of waves. After a brainstorming session with the creative team, graphic designer Lance Wyman made the final touches to this psychedelic motife.

Blending the traditional art of the Huichol Indians, the concentric wave movement, the emblem flirts with the art movement of the time: Op Art!

For the Games of the XIX Olympiad, Mexico City invented a totally “loco” concept: integral design. The idea was no longer to decorate just the competition venues, but the whole city! The Games represented a golden opportunity for Mexico City. This ancient, sprawling, chaotic megalopolis could offer the world a modern, open face.

In 1966, a man took charge of the project: Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, the President of the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games. He brought in Beatrice Trueblood, as Head of Publications, and Eduardo Terrazas, as Head of Urban design. In just a few months, he successfully helped to give the Games a visual identity which went on to become the gold standard in the field.

IN THE EXHIBITION

• The official poster.• A torch. • Hostess uniforms.

ACTIVITIES

• List all the different jobs of the people who work on creating a visual identity for an edition of the Olympic Games.

• As you go out of the Museum, look for the name of Pedro Ramírez Vázquez on the wall to the right of the main entrance. He was one of the building’s architects.

Official emblem of the Olympic Games Mexico City 1968.

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3. Munich 1972, mission perfection

ACTIVITIES

• Make a list of all the types of objects in the Munich 1972 colours and decide what they were used for.

• Imitate the positions of the figures on the pictograms and guess which sports they represent.

The Look for Munich 1972 was the culmination of the thought process begun eight years previously at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Colours, logo, communication and atmosphere: everything had to be consistent. This time, the designers thought of everything! With a com-bination of rigour and talent, the team led by Otl Aicher achieved near-perfection. The visual language for Munich 1972 became a global reference.

Chosen in 1967, Otl Aicher was given free rein. He surrounded himself with brilliant creators: graphic designers, fashion designers, typographers, illustrators, etc. The challenge: to make people forget the Nazi imprint on the 1936 Games in Berlin and show a new face of Germany. The rainbow palette combined six colours inspired by the Bavarian landscape, and can be found on everything linked to the Look of the Games: tickets, posters and even Waldi, the first official Games mascot.

IN THE EXHIBITION

• Sketches for the official emblem. • Posters of the sports on the programme.• Hostess and volunteer uniforms.

Focus: The pictogramsGerhard Joksch was a well-known printer and caricaturist. He was recruited for his sharp drawing style and attention to detail. It was he who invented the geometric figure in these pictograms. Inspired by the example of Tokyo, he created 21 pictograms to illustrate the sports on the programme.

The silhouettes were drawn using circles and straight lines on a very fine and precise grid. The result was a body alphabet (head, body, arms and legs) using the three directions of the grid (horizontal, vertical and diagonal).

Sketches for the Olympic sports pictograms on a geometric grid.

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4. Lillehammer 1994, the crystal blue Games

ACTIVITIES

• List all the natural elements which appear in the Look of the Games objects created for this edition.

• Think about all the elements which might influence the design of a torch for the relay for an edition of the Games in a particular country.

The XVII Olympic Winter Games were organised in Norway, close to the Arctic Circle. A region where nature is implacable and winter is a way of life. A harsh setting for a highly original Games edition.

Led by Petter T. Moshus, the creators extolled their country, its landscape, originality and openness. The foundation of all their work was their concern for the environment. Sustainable development became the basis for all the thinking for these Games. Almost everything was reversible or recyclable, even the souvenir packaging! Here, the setting was the landscape, not a city. The image of winter and its purity was respected, and Norwegian identity was glorified by its avant garde design.

IN THE EXHIBITION

• The pictograms in the form of sculptures.• The torchbearers’ uniform. • The medals.

Focus: The torchOver 1.5 metres in length, the Lillehammer torch combines a polished birch wood handle with an aluminium tip. Various pictograms appear on the metal part. These were based on a 4,000-year-old rock painting discovered on the island of Tro in the north of the country. A national treasure, it is the world’s oldest-known image of a skier.

At the Opening Ceremony, Norwegian ski jumper Stein Gruben pulled off a spectacular feat by launching himself off the ski jump holding the torch. An impressive and highly memorable performance!

Torch produced for the Torch Relay for the Olympic Winter Games Lillehammer 1994.

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5. The future

ACTIVITIES

• Get together to discuss which elements from Lausanne and the region could form part of the Look of the Games for Lausanne 2020 (e.g. the cathedral, Lake Geneva, the Tour de Sauvabelin, etc.).

• In small groups, choose your favourite design for the pictograms and discuss this with the others, stating your reasons for your choices.

For each edition of the Olympic Games, there is a very large number of creations. As the host city is chosen seven years before the event itself, this means years of hard work for the graphic artists and designers, to create a dynamic, effective and contemporary visual identity.

For the next Summer Games, taking place in Tokyo in 2020, the emblem and mascots have already been unveiled! And that year, Lausanne will have its own Look of the Games for the Winter Youth Olympic Games, a big sporting, cultural and educational event for young athletes aged from 14 to 18 from all over the world.

IN THE EXHIBITION

• A video presenting the Tokyo 2020 mascots. • The preparatory work and projects by students

for the Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020.

Focus: Lausanne 2020 has the LookFrom 9 to 22 January 2020, Lausanne will be hosting the Winter Youth Olympic Games, a major event! Students from the Ecole romande d’arts et communication (ERACOM) have been asked to take part, too, with students from all three years involved in the project.

• For the mascot, graphic design, interactive media design and clothes design students have been putting their heads together to come up with ideas.

• The pictograms will go through many different stages before being finalised. All that thanks to the imagination of three classes of first-year graphic design students.

• And for the Look of the Games, second- and third-year gra-phic design students are providing their input, to create a young and sporty graphic language that is representative of the region.

Emblem of the 3rd edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games. © Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee.

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6. Mascots’club

Real good luck charms! Cute, funny, happy, dynamic… With each edition of the Games, the mascots are eagerly awaited. Their role is both simple and important: provide a cheerful welcome for athletes and visitors, embody the Olympic values and add local colour.

The first attempt was in 1968, in the shape of little Shuss for the Winter Games in Grenoble. But it was in Munich in 1972 that the first official mascot appeared, the dachshund Waldi. Since then, for each edition of the Games, the general public and the best design agencies put their brains to work and try to come up with a design for the cutest mascots!

IN THE EXHIBITION

• A big wall showing all the Olympic mascots.• A colouring table to decorate the mascots.• A screen showing cartoons featuring the

mascots.

Focus: Waldi, Munich 1972A rainbow dachshund using the six colours of the visual identity palette for the 1972 Games in Munich… That was Waldi, the first official mascot in the history of the Summer Games, created by Elena Winschermann. This proud little dog from Bavaria is known for its stamina, tenacity and agility. A highly sporty profile, too: when his head is turned to the left, his body forms the shape of the Munich 1972 Olympic marathon course! He even had a real-life alter ego, the dachshund Cherie von Birkenhof.

Waldi, the multi-coloured dachshund, as a cuddly toy.

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ACTIVITIES

• Get into small groups to design an ideal mascot for an edition of the Games in a specific city.

• See how many of the mascots are not animals. What other elements have been used to represent host cities?

• List all the sports played by Cobi, the Barcelona 1992 mascot.


Focus: Cobi, Barcelona 1992A product of the imagination of Javier Mariscal, the Pyrenean shepherd Cobi is a strange animal. Standing upright like a person, three hairs on his forehead, short and stocky with a wonky nose, in a cubist reference to his fellow Catalans, Picasso and Miró… Not very athletic but really friendly.

Cobi could be dressed to order: shorts, a suit, etc. After a lukewarm reception from the general public when first released, his popularity then grew over time, and he went on to become a real success.

Focus: Vinicius, Rio 2016Samba! With a name that pays tribute to musician Vinicius de Moraes, this mascot represented the diversity of the culture and people of Brazil, as well as its luxuriant landscape.

The end result is a mixture of Brazilian animals, pop and video game culture. Vinicius is a strange kind of animal which draws on the fauna of Brazil. A combination of monkey, bird and feline, it makes use of their main abilities to run quickly, fly high and be strong, just like the athletes taking part in the Olympic Games!

Cobi’s creator, Javier Mariscal, is a graphic designer, painter and author of comic books. The mascot Vinicius was unveiled to the public in 2014, two years before the opening of the Olympic Games Rio 2016.

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