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The History of the Olympic Artstold by their founder

2025 The Charter turns 30

On 16 July 2025, the 30th anniversary of the Olympic Arts Charter was celebrated at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, where it had been signed in 1995. More than 230 participants from 70 countries and regions attended.

Some seventy representatives pose as a group in a UNESCO conference room, in front of a screen reading: “UNESCO, 16 juillet 2025, 30e anniversaire des Arts olympiques, 1995/2025”.
Thirty years after the Charter was signed, representatives of 70 countries and regions gathered at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 16 July 2025.

Thirty years of milestones, from 1992 to 2025

2015: Thomas Bach’s letter

On 2 July 2015, Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, replied to Marc Verrière.

Letter from Thomas Bach on International Olympic Committee letterhead, typed text and signature. Transcription below.
Letter from Thomas Bach to Marc Verrière, 2 July 2015. Marc Verrière archives.
Read the transcription of the letter (in French)

[En-tête : Comité International Olympique, Le Président.]

Lausanne, le 2 juillet 2015 — Réf. No MFGT/mchv — Envoi par courriel

Monsieur le Président fondateur,

Votre lettre du 12 juin 2015 m’est bien parvenue et je vous en remercie.

Comme vous l’a indiqué le Président d’honneur du CIO, Dr Jacques Rogge, dans son courrier du 12 mai dernier, c’est avec plaisir que, par le biais de M. Francis Gabet, nous serons informés du développement de votre projet.

Entre-temps, M. Gabet se tient à votre disposition pour vous entendre sur toutes nouvelles propositions ciblées qu’il ne manquera pas de nous transmettre lors de l’une de nos prochaines réunions.

Permettez-moi de vous féliciter de votre attachement aux valeurs olympiques.

Veuillez croire, Monsieur le Président fondateur, à l’expression de mes sentiments distingués.

[Signature manuscrite de Thomas Bach]

cc : Dr Jacques Rogge, Président d’honneur du CIO

2023: Athens, the opening ceremony

On 5 October 2023, the Zappeion in Athens hosted the opening ceremony of the cycle leading to the 2027 olympiad. It was not a competition: the first one will take place in 2027.

On the programme: a forum on art, the environment and technology, the theme “Environment, climate and energy”, and the premiere of the documentary “The Song of Water”, filmed at the sacred spring of Delphi.

Olymp’Arts opening ceremony, Zappeion, Athens, 5 October 2023.

2025: the Charter turns 30 at UNESCO

On 16 July 2025, thirty years after it was signed, the Charter was celebrated at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. Representatives of 70 countries and regions signed a manifesto for the 2027 competition. Among them: Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, former President of the Republic of Mauritius, and Susana Baca, former Minister of Culture of Peru. In the evening, a drone show drew the symbol of the 2027 competition in the sky.

Celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Olympic Arts Charter, UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, 16 July 2025.
The evening drone show: the symbol of the 2027 competition drawn in the sky, 16 July 2025.
See the 70 representatives, country by country
Representatives at the celebration of the Charter’s 30th anniversary, UNESCO, 16 July 2025
Country or regionNameRole
AlgeriaRyma TalebArchitect, national representative
AustraliaCharles BillichArtist, philanthropist, professor
AustriaKatarina WentyPoet, spoken-word artist
BangladeshBibi RussellFashion designer, former model
BelgiumKoen VanmechelenConceptual artist, creator of the Cosmopolitan Project
BelgiumSonia De ClerckNational representative
BeninSessi TonoukouinNational representative
BoliviaMarco Antonio Cabero ZabalagaNational supporter
BrazilFernando Chiari CruzNational representative
BulgariaEncho KeryazovAcrobat, patron of the arts
BulgariaSvetla KodzhabashevaSupporter
CambodiaLoung UngAuthor, human rights activist, screenwriter
CameroonH.E. André-Magnus EkoumouAmbassador, Delegate to UNESCO
ChileMaría Fernanda García IribarrenActress, Executive Director of the Museum of Memory and Human Rights
ComorosEmilie AmirdineNational representative
Congo (Democratic Republic of the)Marcel UsumbaNational representative
Congo (Republic of the)Princesse Louise KamwizikuNational representative
Costa RicaJuan Manuel Delgado MéndezNational representative
Côte d’IvoireYakouba KonatéSupporter
Dominican RepublicJosé Julio Gómez BeatoNational representative
EcuadorEstefanía Peñafiel LoaizaVisual artist, researcher
EgyptAya TarekMultidisciplinary artist, street art pioneer
FinlandMirka Amanda ParenteauNational representative
FinlandRonny Mattias ErikssonNational representative
FranceMarc VerrièreFounding President
FranceJean-Philippe BaurRepresentative and Governor of Rotary International
GermanyNina GenoveseNational representative
GhanaRocky DawuniMusician, Grammy Award nominee, United Nations Goodwill Ambassador
GhanaGodfred Edusei DerkyiSupporter
GreeceFilippos TsalahourisDirector of the Athens Conservatoire
Hong Kong (China)Rocky ShiProducer representative
IranBahman MehabadiMember of the World Philharmonic Orchestra
ItalyAntonio MarzoNational representative
ItalyFranco MarzoNational representative
JapanHanako YamadasmithNational representative
KazakhstanTair KarateyevNational representative
KenyaFelicia OukoNational representative
Macao (China)Pansy HoRepresentative of Macao
MalaysiaHong YiArtist, known for “painting without a paintbrush”
MauritiusH.E. Ameenah Gurib-FakimFormer President of the Republic of Mauritius
MexicoAzul Lizeth Almazán LópezOlympic diver at Sydney 2000
MoldovaH.E. Corina CălugăruDelegate to UNESCO
MoroccoSadeck WaffArtist, national representative
NetherlandsKees van OostrumFormer President of the American Society of Cinematographers
NigeriaBolaji Olaniyi OgunwoArtist, painting lecturer at the University of Lagos
PakistanSyed Jamal ShahNational representative
PakistanTara Uzra DawoodDawood Global Foundation
PeruSusana Baca de la ColinaSinger and songwriter, three-time Latin Grammy Award winner
PhilippinesJohn Kenneth ParanadaNational representative
PolandSzymon OłtarzewskiNational representative
PortugalJennifer CarneiroJournalist
QatarH.E. Dr Nasser Hamad HinzabAmbassador, Delegate to UNESCO
RomaniaAlexandra DariescuNational representative
RussiaAnna SherbininaFedora platform, European opera and ballet
SingaporePaul RozarioNational representative
South AfricaFarhana ParukNational representative
South KoreaLeenam LeeNational representative
South SudanH.E. Michael AmanamoiAmbassador, Delegate to UNESCO
SpainDiandra Ferrera De LimaFedora platform, European opera and ballet
Sri LankaRomesh GunesekeraNational representative
SwitzerlandNathalie Eckert-LoosliMember of the Swiss committee
SwitzerlandFrédéric HohlMember of the Swiss committee
ThailandTuck MuntarbhornMultidisciplinary conceptual artist
TunisiaHedi BourguibaArtist, national representative
TurkeySolmaz Seda GazioğluNational representative
UkraineHerman MakarenkoConductor, National Opera of Ukraine
United KingdomLauren Catriona BevanNational representative
United StatesDerek BrownDirector of the official 2023 film
VietnamLê Khánh LinhEco-entrepreneur, founder of The Yên Concept
ZimbabweChido GoveraNational representative, The Future of Hope Foundation