Shapes and colours as symbols for international values: a discursive analysis of sartorial items used at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Summer Olympic Games between 2000 and 2020

Raphael dos Santos Miguelez-Perez is a co-author of this work.

Abstract

The Olympic Games were one of the major events in Ancient Greece and had different kinds of exhibitions, artistic presentations and athletic competitions. During the late years of the 19th century, Baron Pierre de Coubertin worked on the idea of creating a modern version of the Olympic Games, dealing with different values and a different context. New modern values considered sports as a tool to negotiate peace between nations and deal with diplomatic relations. The Opening and Closing Ceremonies can be seen as solemn events with an important visual aspect: both follow a protocol with several steps where athletes and institutional representatives play specific roles. Uniforms and colors are particularly important during the ceremonies. This work intends to analyze, from a discursive perspective, shapes and colors of the sartorial items used during the Opening and Closing Ceremonies from 2000 until 2020, focusing on the authorities and the athletes themselves. Shapes and colors of the uniforms and chosen sartorial items will be understood as symbolic tools, enabling the ceremonies to communicate and develop different values, such as peace and union, as well as patriotism. Click here to see the presentation.