PARIS – If given the chance, Pharrell Williams would reintroduce arts competition into the Olympics, reviving a tradition that’s been missing for nearly 80 years.
Williams is aiming to reinstate arts competitions back on the world’s biggest sports stage, starting with raising awareness through his star-studded Louis Vuitton event Thursday in Paris. He passionately shared his goal to see the tradition revived by the Olympics in 2028 the night before the Games’ opening ceremony.
“We get to remind people that at one point, the Olympics actually had the arts as a section that ran all these competitions,” Williams before the event. “Sculpture, architecture, visual arts. The idea we get to put the arts back in. … Why not take this moment to bring awareness?”
Art competitions first came into fruition at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm with medals awarded in five categories: architecture, literature, music, painting and sculpture. However, the International Olympic Committee ended the competitions in the 1948 games. An attempt to bring it back was denied four years later.
Williams, the musician-turned-designer, hosted the ritzy A-list event at the Louis Vuitton Foundation building. Attendees included popular figures such as LeBron James, Steven Spielberg, Mick Jagger, Zendaya, Anna Wintour, Charlize Theron, Serena Williams, Rosalía, Snoop Dogg, Queen Latifah and Zac Efron.
Williams called the inside of the event like an “indoor carnival.” He curated a select group of world-renowned artists including KAWS, Daniel Arsham and Derek Fordjour to design interactive art installations.
Some of the sports represented at the event included archery, tennis, basketball and equestrianism along with carnival games. “The game will begin on the inside tonight,” he said.
Through donations, Williams said he wanted the event to support Olympic hopefuls as well as 36 athletes across 11 different countries who are competing on the Refugee Olympic Team this year.
“We get to raise money for the other athletes who don’t have the means to get the gear or proper training equipment,” said Williams, who added that he spoke about creating music for the games with Thomas Bach, the president of the IOC.
The famed producer said he recorded a track called “Triumph is Cosmos.”
“This is like the victory lap around the solar system,” he said.
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