2024 Edition

The body, effort, and physical prowess of the athlete; the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat; the sites of competition: these have always provided subjects for artists, and thus for historians and art historians — and continue to do so today.

In a year marked by the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, the Festival — part of the Cultural Olympiad program — will endeavor to consider sport as an overall cultural phenomenon. From early forms to more modern conceptions of sport, born in British universities before evolving into the social and media spectacles that we know today, many aspects of athletics will be reflected upon over these three days. But the Festival is not a competition – there are no winners or losers, rankings, or gold medals!