Portraits 2024
Combining the worlds of data, sport and art for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games
Summer 2023. At the heart of the Olympic and Paralympic preparations, Blandine, judoka at the French national team and artist with the Felieno studio which she founded, has just finished a colorful season. Jeremy, data scientist at the French National Institute of Sport and Performance (INSEP), tells her about an ambitious idea: to bring together the world of sport and data science into an art exhibition. Discussions flow and inspirations gradually take the form of portraits of iconic athletes from the Olympic and Paralympic movement.
Creative process
1
Start line : building the dream team
The portraits first come to life as sketches in Blandine’s notebooks at the edge of the tatamis and digitally behind Jeremy’s screen. At the same time, thirteen athletes from the french Olympic and Paralympic Team with extraordinary personalities agree to take part in this artistic creation.
Click to discover the thirteen athletes, who won no less than eight medals, including four titles this summer!
Antoine Dupont
Rugby Sevens
Ysaora Thibus
Fencing
Arnaud Assoumani
Para-athletics
Lucas Mazur
Para-badminton
Romane Dicko
Judo
Florent Manaudou
Swimming
Chloé Valentini
Handball
Magda Wiet-Hénin
Taekwondo
Marie Patouillet
Para-cycling
Carlota Dudek
Breaking
Samir Ait-Saïd
Gymnastics
Antoine Rozner
Golf
Madeleine Larcheron
Skateboard
2
The questionnaire and design of our formoteque
For these portraits, the athletes are asked to fill a questionnaire that covers aspects of both their sport and personal life. Each of the potential response is then associated to a form drawn by Blandine and digitally combined by Jeremy to form a unique portrait of the athlete. On several occasions, the athletes are also free to shape their answers graphically in pen or pencil.
Above, the encoding of some answers drawn by hand by Blandine. The colors and the shapes are the reflect of her artistic sensibility, as well as inspired by her own experience as an elite judoka
Some answers are drawn directly by the athletes. Above, Arnaud Assoumani, a para-athletic champion answers graphically the question : « If you had to draw your career, how would you represent it? »
3
The digital portraits
Once the questionnaire has been answered and the formotèque completed, it’s Jeremy’s turn to digitize the shapes and combine them to form the digital portraits. Each shape is then nested within the others, underlining the complex nature of the athletes portrayed.
All the portraits are then animated by Noémie to echo the evolution and inner questioning that top-level sport requires. To find out every detail about the athletes, a web interface allows you to explore some of the multiple facets of their sporting and personal lives.
4
The physical portraits
Early 2024, the portraits move away from the digital world as Blandine weaves them onto the white canvas of her studio using the tufting technique that gives these portraits physicality and texture. Once woven, they are combined with sports equipment dear to the athletes and become exhibition pieces.
From kimono to wool, it’s all a matter of touch!
Discover all the physical portraits
Exhibition
Taking data visualization to unusual places
Portraits 2024 was awarded the Cultural Olympiad Label by the Paris 2024 organizing committee. Throughout the project, our aim has been to break down the barriers between athletes and the general public, and bring data visualizations into places where they are rarely seen.
Avant-premiere at Le Louvre
In early 2024, the first portrait of the project was revealed at the Carroussel du Louvre. The kimono of Romane Dicko, multiple Olympic medal-winning athlete attracted the attention and curiosity of visitors.
Vernissage at So/ Paris Hotel
A prestigious hotel in the heart of the capital, the So/ Paris is a place of inspiration for artists and creators. In a suite with a breathtaking view of the Games’ opening ceremony, athletes and partners were able to preview their portraits, and try their hand at tufting.
For this event, the scenography was made on real equipment used by our athletes. Bringing two worlds together, again!
Exhibition during the Games at La Samaritaine Paris Pont-Neuf
Iconic Parisian Grand Magasin, La Samaritaine hosted the Portraits 2024 exhibition, on the last floor under the the majestic glass roof and surrounded by the historical decors
The configuration of the exhibition allowed for a dialogue between the physical and digital portraits. A few meters away from the tufted portraits, the digital portraits were animated on a very large display, responding to the colorful wool. Sit back in a deckchair and the journey is immediate!
Auction
The project culminated in an auction of the works, with proceeds supporting Play International, a charity promoting sports for children in underprivileged communities.
Team
« Team work make the dream work »
Blandine Pont
Art direction & physical conception
Jeremy Wanner
Art direction & digital conception
Interactive visualization & web dev/design
Motion design
Exhibition scenography
Communication & events
Oiiwa 