The National Sports Museum of Nice is leading a collection of objects from the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. For the moment, the place has received 40 pledges of donations from medal-winning French athletes. An exhibition is planned to highlight them.
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The summer of 2024 resonated with the sounds of cries and songs of millions of French people, moved by the exploits of Léon Marchand and Aurélie Aubert. This moment of communion left behind many objects: they are the memory of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
With a view to an exhibition planned in Nice, the National Sports Museum is collecting these objects in order to preserve them and showcase them as part of an exhibition whose date remains to be defined. The announced goal is to preserve the memory of this historic moment and to create a story in which every French person can recognize themselves.
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For the moment, the Olympic Games have left a legacy of a stubborn nostalgia that many French people have difficulty getting rid of. A century had passed since the last organization of these Olympics in the capital. From this historic moment, we must strive to transmit a lasting memory and memory.
The legacy of the Games is above all heritage. Almost nothing remains of the 1924 Paris Games, because this preservation work had not been done.
Thomas Fanari, communications manager for the National Sports Museum of Niceat France 3 Côte d’Azur
Aware of this gap, those in charge of the museum are redoubling their efforts to prevent History from repeating itself. They launched a collection (still ongoing) in order to receive objects related to the Games. A collection, still in progress, has been launched to collect objects linked to the Games. These unique pieces each tell a story.
Among the treasures already acquired are:
- A Marie-Antoinette outfit, from one of the paintings from the opening ceremony in which the Gojira group literally set the Conciergerie on fire
- The Assassin’s Creed walker’s outfit, a nod to pop culture and the French creators of the famous video game
- The autographed outfits of the Lebrun brothers, who shone during the table tennis events
And that’s not all since the museum is still awaiting receipt of a complete set of medals.
During this painting on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, we could see Marie-Antoinettes in the windows of the Conciergerie in Paris. One of the outfits will be visible in Nice during an upcoming exhibition.
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© BERNAT ARMANGUE / XINHUA
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Preserving these objects, which are often ephemeral, constitutes a real challenge. “Some of them were not designed to last, explain Thomas Fanari. This requires working with partners to create prototypes or scale models.” This will be particularly the case with regard to the cauldron having risen into the sky of Paris after having been lit by Teddy Riner and Marie-José Pérec.
Among the objects that can be found in Nice during an exhibition, a lighter version of the Olympic cauldron.
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© MAXPPP/Kyodo
Although the presentation format is still under discussion, an exhibition seems to be the preferred route. “There are several possibilities, but the current trend is to organize an exhibition. The format and scale will depend on the total volume of objects available.”
To date, the museum has obtained 40 pledges of donations from medal-winning French athletes, but the process remains complex. “Making athletes aware of the importance of this approach is a real challenge, recalls Thomas Fanari. Sometimes, if necessary, we go to meet them to explain our project to them. And they are very receptive!”
So, Teddy Riner has already given a kimono, but not linked to the Olympics!
Each donation will enrich the collective story of these Games. And as the only national museum dedicated to sport in France, the Nice institution bears a particular responsibility. “We are the only national museum dedicated to sport in France. As such, it is essential to actively participate in preserving the legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
These objects will become a trace of this magical moment which marked the French, and will perhaps also mark future generations.
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