Olympic Art Exhibitions

Tabish Khan
By Tabish Khan Last edited 139 months ago
Olympic Art Exhibitions
Game, Set, Medal by Michael English in 20:12 at Degree Art
Game, Set, Medal by Michael English in 20:12 at Degree Art
Untitled (Athletics 2) from Stefano Nicolini: Champions at Richard Young Gallery
Untitled (Athletics 2) from Stefano Nicolini: Champions at Richard Young Gallery
Art at the Edge CIC in Sculpture and Sport at the Gallery@Oxo
Art at the Edge CIC in Sculpture and Sport at the Gallery@Oxo
Jenna & Olivia, Team GB synchronised swimmers by Helen Gorrill in 20:12 at Degree Art
Jenna & Olivia, Team GB synchronised swimmers by Helen Gorrill in 20:12 at Degree Art
Untitled (Swimming 1) in Stefano Nicolini: Champions at Richard Young Gallery
Untitled (Swimming 1) in Stefano Nicolini: Champions at Richard Young Gallery

Every part of London has contracted Olympics fever and the art scene is no exception. Artists claim to be inspired by the games, while cynics will consider it cashing in. Whichever side of the fence you fall on, art aficionados can't avoid Olympics and sports themed exhibitions. So we've decided to produce a handy list of all of the related exhibitions that have come across our radar. And no, just being part of the cultural Olympiad or the London 2012 festival doesn't get a place on our list:

Designed to Win @ Design Museum looks at the mechanics of the equipment that sportsmen and women use both in Olympic and other sports.

20:12 @ DegreeArt features portraits of Team GB by up and coming artists. Includes an interview with two of the participating artists.

London Now @ Sarah Myerscough has cityscapes that feature the Olympic stadium – a notable addition to the London skyline.

BT Road to 2012 @ National Portrait Gallery is a collection of portraits of the individuals who make up the Olympics, from athletes to torch bearers. Accompanying this exhibition is Facing East, a look at East Londoners and how their lives have been affected by the Games.

Sculpture and Sport @ Oxo Gallery is filled with 30 bronze sculptures of Olympic and Paralympic sports.

Olympic and Paralympic Posters @ Tate Britain is a set of posters for the games created by 15 contemporary artists including big names such as Tracey Emin and Michael Craig-Martin.

The highlight of Pursuit of Perfection @ South London Gallery has to be the collection of over 2,500 unwanted trophies piled haphazardly.

The Finishing Line @ St Mary of Eton church is a display of photographs of 42 athletes over the last four years.

Stefano Nicolini uses his unique approach to fine art photography to explore athleticism in his exhibition titled Champions at Richard Young gallery.

E20 12: Under Construction @ The Crossing in King's Cross brings us aerial shots of the Olympic Park when it was under development and portraits of those that worked on it.

The KK Outlet will be featuring an Art Relay where artists will create artworks in relay style passing their work on to the next contributor to amend.

A Landscape in Motion in the gallery at the Hoxton Hotel charts the change in the landscape of the east end as the Olympics has taken it over.

Juxtaposition @ See Studio is a group show that also explores the change in landscape but focusses on the Lea Valley.

Street art has also joined the party – both of the regular and naughty variety.

This video of 365 versions of the Olympic logo is another excellent tribute to the Games.

If you're in the Olympic Park, don't forget to check out the Phone Box art and Art in the Park.

The many statues of Wenlock and Mandyville clogging up our streets may not be art but tourists seem to love them so we've included them in the list.

That's our list but we're sure there are others. If you know of any, let us know by posting a comment.

Post-publishing note: Four exhibitions we've been informed about - Art Relay, Pursuit of Perfection, Juxtaposition and E20 12 have been added to this article after initial publication.

Last Updated 09 August 2012