Paris 2024 reveals poster campaign for Olympic and Paralympic Games
Parisian artist Ugo Gattoni has illustrated the richly detailed Olympic and Paralympic posters, which join together to create a diptych for the first time in the history of the Games
As Paris gears up to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in a few months’ time, the International Olympic Committee has revealed the two official posters illustrated by artist Ugo Gattoni, who has previously worked with luxury brands such as Cartier and Hermès.
In the past, official posters have tended to showcase symbols and logos associated with the Games. For Paris 2024, Gattoni’s official Olympic and Paralympic posters depict lively scenes that are visually connected – the first diptych in the history of the Games. The complementary art posters revealed last year similarly invited artists to create two interconnected designs.
Gattoni spent more than 2,000 hours on the posters, which are packed with detail in the style of Where’s Wally? puzzle books. Included are every single event in the tournaments and other emblems that nod to the Games, such as the Paris 2024 logo and the Phryges mascots.
Though Paris landmarks such as Eiffel Tower and the Grand Palais can be found in the posters, the cityscape itself has been transformed into a fantasy scene, with the notable addition of a body of water flanking it.
This might seem unusual considering the capital is in-land, and it is in many ways the workings of Gattoni’s otherworldly vision. However, the coastal sections of the posters are grounded in specific references. One of these is Marseille, where the Olympic torch will arrive by boat before the torch relay takes it to Paris, and where several events will be staged. The wave in the sea represents Tahiti, which is also hosting events during the Games.
Meanwhile. the waterway running inside the arena is a nod the river Seine, where the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony will be held, marking the first time the ritual is taking place outside a stadium.
Gattoni estimates that the individual figures seen across the two posters number in the tens of thousands – and no two are the same. Paris 2024 head of design Joachim Roncin underlines that he was keen to involve an artist with a hand-crafted process, with Gattoni drawing every single line individually rather than filling the scenes with copy-and-paste elements. The choice to show people intermingling was a conscious decision too. “Ugo merged a lot of athletes and a lot of public as well, so they both live together,” Roncin explains.
The composition was the most challenging part of the process, Gattoni tells us. “It was a major difficulty. Then when I had all the outlines and everything composed, it was a real pleasure to go in with the colours and give life to this drawing.” The palette is bright and varied, but also contains subtle links to the Paris 2024 design identity, creating a bridge between the master brand and the promotional artwork. (Anyone who might choose different colours is welcome to do so with a colouring-in version available to buy.)
The completed piece will also be on display temporarily at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, and will no doubt appear publicly in the run up to the tournaments themselves.
The Olympics and Paralympics are a serious affair for athletes, yet Gattoni’s posters are a playful reminder of the joy and feverish atmosphere that sweeps through when the Games are in town.
