Who remembers the Olympic and Paralympic posters? Until now, the posters for the Games often just featured the event’s logo, usually on a plain background. Nothing very original, nothing very memorable. For Paris 2024, however, it will be different. Eager to offer Games that break with tradition, like having an opening ceremony not in a stadium but on a river, the organizing committee (Cojop) also wanted to break the codes with its official posters, unveiled this Monday in the majestic setting of the Musée d’Orsay.
“We wanted to go further than the usual posters, by telling a lot of stories. Our project is very rich in innovations,” says Joachim Roncin, head of design for Paris 2024. To do this, he got in touch with Ugo Gattoni, a Parisian illustrator known for his meticulous and colorful drawings. From September 19, 2023, to January 19, 2024, he spent nearly 2,000 hours imagining and designing a poster that, according to him, should “make a mark, last over time. It should still work in a hundred years.”
Two posters that make one
It must be admitted, the final result is radically different from what had been done before. First of all, because the two posters (one for the Olympics, the other for the Paralympics) form one single image when placed side by side. “This connection between Olympism and Paralympism is very important to us,” emphasizes Joachim Roncin. So when we bring the two posters together, it becomes one whole. It’s symbolic.
Seen as a whole, the work represents a gigantic “Parisian arena,” as Ugo Gattoni describes it, who took pleasure in incorporating an incalculable number of elements. Among them are several iconic monuments of Paris, from the Eiffel Tower to Les Invalides, passing through the Arc de Triomphe and the Grand Palais. But as the Games will not only take place in the capital, there are also glimpses of the marina of Marseille or the Teahupoo wave, venues for sailing and surfing events.
Beyond the setting, there are characters. They haven’t been counted, but there would be “thousands, handcrafted, no copy-paste. The level of detail is extremely precise,” notes Joachim Roncin. Many are spectators, others are participants. All seem to commune in a joyful harmony. Without a single national flag or clearly identifiable personality, neutrality prevails. “Practically all sports are represented. At every square centimeter, there is a story to tell,” adds the head of design for Paris 2024.
“Everything is meaningful, thoughtful,” he continues. “We wanted this poster to tell a lot of little stories, with humor and lightness.” The observer’s eye will stop on a multitude of details, like a wheelchair tennis court placed on the roof of the Arc de Triomphe or the Stade de France, surprisingly attached to the Eiffel Tower. Note that younger viewers will enjoy finding the eight hidden mascots on the poster, which echoes the famous Where’s Waldo? book series by Martin Handford, to which Ugo Gattoni’s work is often compared.
Starting Tuesday, around 2,000 posters will be pasted throughout Paris, especially at bus shelters, in order to “bring a bit of joy to the city,” according to Joachim Roncin. For those interested, various formats will soon be available for purchase. Admission price: 20 euros.
