From the first Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris in 2024
"Olympisme, une histoire du monde" retraces 130 years of geopolitical, political, social and cultural evolution since the creation of the modern Olympic Games, through the exploits of the greatest Olympic champions.
The chronological tour takes visitors behind the scenes of each of the 33 Olympiads, from Athens in 1896 to Paris in 2024, including those that were cancelled (1916, 1940, 1944). With almost 600 art pieces, documents, archive films and photographs, the exhibition brings together historical events, sporting figures and witnesses to history.
This global history has been shaped by major international conflicts and multiple struggles. These include struggles for equality, against racism and discrimination, for the gradual opening of the Games to all nations and peoples of the world, for inclusion, parity and women's rights, for civil rights and the fight against apartheid, as well as ecological challenges.
This exhibition and the accompanying catalog reaffirm the Palais de la Porte Dorée's commitment to all of these values, which are at the heart of its scientific and cultural project and its programming.