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* "The Eternal Olympics" - The Art and History of Sport - Publisher Nicolaos Yalouris - Caratzas Brothers Publishers - New Rochelle - New-York 1979

FOUNDING CHARTER

UNESCO -1995.07.11

The "Olympic Arts" were created to take up the artistic competitions that had been initiated in ancient Greece, in 566 BC.*
The generic tittle became "Arts de l'Olympe / Olymp'Arts" in 2016, with the IOC agreement.

In the ancient Greek calendar, every four years, the third year after each sport olympiad, global art activities were organized and promoted at some sacred spot.

Artists all over the world, amateur and professional, are invited without any age or cultural restrictions.

All existing art disciplines will be covered.

The main goal of OLYMP'ARTS is to show the main role of art in building a better world. The purpose is to bring people from different cultural backgrounds together and surround the works that can reflect unique values, such as Universality, Aesthetics, Harmony and Non-violence, proving that art is the carrier of deep and persistent values.

In addition to its etymology, one of the goals of OLYMP'ARTS is to provide an opportunity for talented artists lacking the necessary means of spreading their message to become recognized global artists.

The OLYMP'ARTS trophy will be awarded to some of the best works after selection on the specified website (under development) according to the specified general competition rules.

Each Modern OLYMP'ARTS competition will assign a theme to all artists to facilitate their efforts to develop their inspiration and creativity to purely human and universal values.

The highest international decision-making bodies will guarantee the impartiality of their activities and will respect the stated purposes.
Marc Verriere
Founding President
The Founding President of WOAC

Mr. Marc Verriere, the Founding President of the WOAC, comes from an old family of artists : many renowned painters and musicians come from the Robaut family, originally from the North of France, and his mother was a member of this family. Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (July 17, 1796 - February 22, 1875), painter known worldwide for his landscape works, also spent a large part of his life in this family. It could be Marc Verriere's destiny to dedicate his life to art and the development of art all over the world.

Mr. Marc Verriere obtained his university degree from the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts in Paris, with a specialty in law, literature and musical studies. After obtaining his diplomas, and a period spent in business management, Marc Verriere launched himself in the 1980s in the field of music, production and artistic managment. He worked in particular at Radio France (France Inter, France Musique and France Culture) and organized public and private concerts in the Paris region.

Throughout this important period, and thanks to new technologies, new art has appeared and the artistic world as a whole has evolved considerably in France and Europe, in particular.

But his ambition did not stop there. In 1985, with Françoise Legrand, musician and composer, cousin of Michel Legrand, they created in 1985 in Stockholm (Sweden), in Homage to the Nobel Foundation, the World Philharmonic Orchestra www.world-orchestral.com , which brings together the best orchestral soloists from over 85 countries. This initiative has been applauded around the world by developing during new sessions in Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, Montreal, Paris, in particular. Several concerts by the World Philharmonic Orchestra were given for the benefit of UNICEF. This is why, due to his contribution to charity, Marc Verriere was awarded the Medal of Recognition by UNICEF.

Subsequently, Marc Verriere created a fund for the World Philharmonic Orchestra and offered scholarships to underprivileged children from different countries for their musical education.

A few years later, a new innovative idea came to his mind : on the principle of the World Philharmonic Orchestra, to develop and create an artistic event that would bring together all the arts. And in 1992, while doing research at the National Library of France, Marc Verriere came across a book entitled "The Eternal Olympics", published in New York in 1979 and whose author is Nicolaos Yalouris. The book gives an account of the importance and the attraction of artistic events and competitions in the great celebration that was the ancient Olympic Games. And two centuries after the creation of the traditional Olympic Games, born in 776 BC, the ancient Greeks invented the Art olympiads, in 566 BC, stipulating that they should take place every 4 years, but in a staggered way, the 3rd year after each sports olympiad.

It was this historic renaissance that Marc Verriere got down to from 1992, obtaining the immediate and unconditional support of Mr Nelson Paillou, President of the Centenary Congress of the International Olympic Committee – Paris 1994. Subsequently, Marc Verriere also received letters of support from Mr. Boutros Boutros- Ghali, then Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Mr. Henri Lopes, Assistant Director-General for Culture at UNESCO.

On July 10 to 11, 1995, at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, Marc Verriere signed the founding Charter of the first modern Olympic Arts, with 68 representatives from 65 countries, followed by a major international press conference including numerous articles from the print media around the world have reported the circumstances of this historic revival.

In 2007, he officially registered this new association in Geneva, according to the Swiss Civil Code (article 60).

In 2016, in order to please the IOC, and to avoid any confusion, he decided to transform the generic name of the Olympic Arts into "Arts de l'Olympe / Olymp'Arts", and he registered the logo and the brand " Arts de l'Olympe / Olymp'Arts" at the "Institut National de la Propriété Intellectuelle" (INPI) in France.

On this occasion, he plans to organize the first Olymp'Arts in 2021 in Cannes, France.

The entire French nation hailed this event and Marc Verriere received letters of support from the President of the French Republic, the French National Commission for UNESCO, the City of Cannes, as well as official patronage from the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

The official website has been created and thousands of artists from more than 170 countries have registered online their candidacy to present a work in the 18 disciplines offered.

The Covid-19 pandemic unfortunately brought the world to a standstill in 2020 and delayed the preparations for the Olymp'Arts which were postponed to 2023.

In June 2022, the World Olymp'Arts Council (WOAC) was officially created and held a press conference at the Palais des Nations in Geneva to announce that the first Olymp'Arts would be held in Geneva, Switzerland in 2023.

During the "Olymp'Arts – Greece" Forum, attended by eminent academics and artists, Marc Verriere confirmed that the Olymp'Arts are founded on inalienable principles whose exclusive values are universality, beauty, aesthetics, harmony and non-violence, and that the selections and final ranking will be made by the global public anonymously.

The theme of the first Olymp'Arts chosen is : Environment, climate and energy

Universal beauty and the power of art are able to move the world forward and giving birth to new hope towards a reality where Harmony would be the ultimate value of humanity.

"Beauty will save the world" (Dostoïevski)

Big Event

1993 In March 1993, the then Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, sent a letter supporting the Founding President, Mr. Marc Verriere, in the establishment of the "Comité Exécutif des OLYMP'ARTS".

1994 In April 1994, Mr. Nelson Paillou, President of the International Olympic Committee Paris Centenary Congress, sent a letter supporting the Founding President, Mr. Marc Verriere, in the establishment of the "Comité Exécutif des OLYMP'ARTS".

2007 In March 2007, in accordance with Article 60 of the Swiss Civil Code, the "Association 《Les OLYMP'ARTS》" was established in Geneva; later in January 2021, it was officially renamed the "International OLYMP'ARTS Committee", abbreviated as IOAC.

2015 In July 2015, the President of the International Olympic Committee, Mr. Thomas Bach, sent a letter of appreciation to the International OLYMP'ARTS Committee for its strong belief in Olympic values, copied to the Honorary President of the International Olympic Committee, Mr. Jacques Rogge.

2018 In 2018, the French National Commission for UNESCO, the French President's General Office, the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Solidarity, and the Mayor of Cannes sent letters to support the International OLYMP'ARTS Committee in holding the OLYMP'ARTS in Cannes.

2021 In January 2021, the OLYMP'ARTS, originally scheduled to be held in Cannes, France 2021, was canceled due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the International OLYMP'ARTS Committee decided to postpone it to 2023.

1993 In November 1993, Henri Lopes, Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO, sent a letter confirming that Ms. Madeleine Gobert, Director of the Division of Arts and Cultural Life, would represent UNESCO at the inaugural meeting of the "Comité Exécutif des OLYMP'ARTS".

1995 On July 10-11, 1995, 68 representatives from 65 countries and regions signed the first "OLYMP'ARTS" Charter at UNESCO headquarters and established the "Comité Exécutif des OLYMP'ARTS".

2014 In 2014, the "Association 《Les OLYMP'ARTS》" began to launch plans for the first "OLYMP'ARTS" and was preparing to host the first OLYMP'ARTS competition in France.

2016 In 2016, the generic term “olympic” of our appellation of origin has been modified with reference to Mount Olympus, which the shape of our logo denotes, becoming “Olymp’Arts”. Indeed, this revival of the “Olympiads of Art”, introduced by ancient Greece according to a precise calendar of which the modern concept belongs to us (official deposit INPI 1992, renewed in 2015), has always been independent of the IOC. It is to better differentiate ourselves from the sporting world and avoid any confusion that this change of terminology in our generic title was implemented. This change has been approved by the IOC in a letter dated February 12, 2016.

2019 In 2019, the French Ministry of Culture and the French Ministry of European and International Affairs sent letters to support the "International OLYMP'ARTS Committee " in holding the OLYMP'ARTS in Cannes.

2022 On June 29, 2022, the International OLYMP'ARTS Committee held an International Press Conference at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, announcing that the OLYMP'ARTS 2023 will be held in Geneva, Switzerland in July 2023, and the participants registration was also launched on the official website.

Centennial Congress IOC Paris 1994
UNITED NATIONS
UNESCO

Founding Logo

The Founding Logo used at the "OLYMP'ARTS" founding conference held at the UNESCO Headquarters on July 10-11, 1995.

Six-Star logo

The OLYMP'ARTS logo is formed of six stars, representing the colorful world of art, which stands for the human spirit and thought. The six stars also represent artists from six continents. The stars form an overall pyramid shape rising skyward, implying the artist's source of inspiration. The top most star, fully in white, represents the continent of Antarctica composed, which is 98% ice and water, a natural reserve of the earth that humanity must defend. This is consistent with and echoes the starting point of the common interests of humanity.

This logo graphic, as the official brand image, has been patented by the National Industrial Property Institute (INPI) in 2016.