Cultural Olympiad: Olympic tapestry by Marjane Satrapi

The Olympic tapestry, based on an original work by the artist Marjane Satrapi, will be on temporary display on the façade of the Hôtel de la Marine on 21 June 2024.

Revealed on Tuesday 12 March 2024 after three years of weaving and the mobilisation of exceptional expertise, this work, the fruit of a partnership between the Mobilier national and the Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, is the first project to be part of the Cultural Olympiads.

In keeping with a long tradition of weaving for historic events, this tapestry is an expression of the excellence of French craftsmanship and the work of exceptional artisans who have shaped every centimetre of this emblematic piece for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The tapestry takes the form of a triptych measuring 9 metres long and 3.3 metres high, each part of which pays tribute to Olympic history:

• The left-hand section echoes the past, and more specifically the 1924 Paris Olympic Games, using the iconography of the javelin thrower.
• The central part, depicting a man and a woman carrying the torch under the Eiffel Tower, reflects the present. For the first time, in 2024, the Olympic Games will be a parity event, with an equal number of male and female athletes taking part.
• The right-hand side, meanwhile, refers to modernity and innovation in connection with the new urban breakdance and skateboarding events that will be introduced at Paris 2024.