Sport and culture at the 1968 Olympic Games: the work of Jean Dewasne

Following France’s failure at the 1960 Games in Rome, General de Gaulle undertook a reform to revitalise French sport. The 1968 Olympic Games in Grenoble included a cultural policy marked by the commissioning of a decoration for the Ice Stadium by the artist Jean Dewasne.

Organised in France for the second time after Chamonix in 1924, the Winter Games represented a challenge for Grenoble, which undertook major works to build the necessary infrastructure.

Designed as a showcase for modern France, they were accompanied by an architectural and cultural policy entrusted to renowned contemporary artists. Jean Dewasne (1921-1999), representative and theorist of geometric abstraction, was commissioned to design the decor for the entrance to the ice stadium built especially for the Games.