Can we bring sculpture back to the Olympics?

Finnish discus thrower (Finnish Discus) by Konstantinos Dimitriadis. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

In the early days of the modern Olympic Games, the Games were not just about sports: they also included artistic competitions.

Before focusing exclusively on sporting events, the Olympic Games included categories for various art forms, where one could, for example, win a medal for a poem or a painting. Among the ancient Greeks, art was also considered an Olympic sport. In addition to “classical” sports such as running or wrestling, the Olympic Games in ancient Greece included competitions in art, music and even sculpture.

The idea of ​​including artistic competitions in the modern Olympic Games came from French Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the Olympic Movement. Inspired by the values ​​of the ancient Greeks, who believed in cultivating both the mind and the body, Coubertin wanted to bring together art and sport.

The artistic competitions of the modern Olympic Games covered five areas: architecture, literature, music, painting and sculpture. In keeping with the spirit of the Games, all entries had to be inspired by a sport, from athletics to swimming to football.

When art first became an Olympic sport

In modern history, art was first considered an Olympic sport at the 1912 Summer Games in Stockholm, Sweden. At first, the participation of artists was not very large, but it increased during the following Olympic Games, reaching its peak in 1928 in Amsterdam with more than 1,100 works presented.

Notable works from the early Olympic art competitions include Jean Jacoby’s paintings:Sports Study” And “Rugby”, which captured football scenes and won gold medals in the mixed categories of painting and drawing in 1924 and 1928, respectively. Another notable piece is Walter W. Winans’ bronze sculpture “An American Trotter”, which won a gold medal in 1912.

Greece won a medal in the art competitions, in the mixed sculpture category. Exactly a century ago, at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, Konstantinos Dimitriadis won the gold medal for his sculpture “Finnish discus thrower“(“Finnish discus thrower“). It was a 7-foot-tall sculpture of a naked athlete preparing to throw the discus.

However, by 1948, interest in art competitions at the Olympics had waned. Controversy over the advantage given to professional artists at the Games led to the art competitions being replaced by exhibitions in 1954. Since then, art has not been part of the Olympic programme.

And while the reasons for art’s removal from the Olympics are understandable – such as the unfair advantage enjoyed by professional artists and the subjective nature of art compared to the clear results of sport – one might wonder about the role of sculpture.

Can sculpture be considered a sport?

Sculpture is distinguished from other art forms such as painting or literature because it is three-dimensional. Sculptors work with materials such as stone, sand, or ice, engaging with their art in a physical way that painters and poets do not. In fact, this physicality is very similar to sports, and sports themselves are considered an art form by many.

Sculpture and sport require years of dedication and physical effort. Creating a sculpture requires long hours of work that require precision, maneuvering around the piece, and careful handling of tools—much like athletes perfect their technique. Just as high jumpers must position their bodies perfectly to clear the bar, a sculptor must manage their tools and position their body properly to shape the work.

Additionally, both sculpture and sports involve mathematics. Sculptors and athletes use principles such as geometry, calculus, and statistics to achieve the best possible result.

Sculpture as an Olympic discipline

Bringing sculpture back to the Olympics may seem like a far-fetched idea, but it could hold promise for the future. Given sculpture’s similarities to sports, including it in the Games could help revive an art form that is increasingly out of the spotlight today. While paintings and novels often get the spotlight, sculpture is not as widely recognized in the mainstream media. As an Olympic event, its status would be elevated.

Just as the art of the early modern Olympics was to be inspired by sports, sculpture followed this rule as well. Artists would compete within a set time frame to create the best sculpture. Their sculptures would then be judged and scored based on set criteria such as difficulty and execution, much like gymnastics routines are judged.

In addition, sculpture at the Olympics would also contribute to our cultural legacy for future generations. This is seen in how artwork from past Olympic contests has endured over time. For example, Konstantinos Dimitriadis’ medal-winning sculpture was restored and rededicated outside Icahn Stadium on Randall Island in March 2024, a century after it was created.

Can we bring sculpture back to the Olympics?

At the Paris 2024 Olympics, breaking, a form of street dance, made its debut, allowing dancers to compete against each other. This initiative marked an important step towards the inclusion of more diverse arts at the Games and suggests the possibility of greater diversity in the future, possibly including sculpture.

For now, Parisian sculptors have the opportunity to exhibit their work at the Cultural Olympiads, a series of events taking place throughout France until September. These events aim to bring art and sport closer together, as Baron de Coubertin wanted. It also suggests that the future could offer new opportunities for sculpture to once again become part of the Olympic movement.