For the first time, illustrator Ugo Gattoni has disclosed the creative process behind the posters for Paris 2024. Speaking from his studio in Ivry-sur-Seine, in the suburbs of Paris, an apartment filled with windows that sit in a white, inconspicuous building, the Parisian designer talked about the almost 2,000 hours he spent creating the colourful posters that are full of symbolism and myriad details.
The small stories behind the grand tale of Paris 2024
The project has been inherently challenging from the very beginning. Not only did the posters need to represent the next Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Paris 2024 organisers also wanted to make a difference through the project by including all the smaller stories that have developed over the history of the upcoming Games.
“I wanted to tell the story of Paris 2024,” said Joachim Roncin, director of design at Paris 2024, “so that there would be an overview of the entire project, to take sport out of the sporting arenas.”
To do that, the first point of focus is a diver in the foreground, who is watching the show unfold before his eyes in a sports arena made up of Paris’s greatest monuments: from Pont Alexandre III to an Eiffel Tower decorated with the Stade de France, and the Arc de Triomphe through which the Paris passes, there are many different references.
“I wanted the poster to tell countless things, to be full of symbols. There are many small details, they’re stories within the stories,” added Roncin.
Ugo Gattoni on the Paris 2024 posters: “I was very honoured”
Roncin had the ideal candidate in mind when it came to creating the posters: Ugo Gattoni, an illustrator whose impressive resume includes working on a project titled "Bicycle" for the Olympic Games London 2012, as well as scarf designs for the famous fashion brand Hermès. The artist is known for taking inspiration from surrealism and mythology and he specialises in large, colourful, detailed pieces.
“The first time Joachim contacted me was via the internet in June 2023, to ask me to create the official posters,” said Gattoni, sitting in an armchair in his studio. He is looking over the huge poster he created, with the shining eyes of someone who speaks with passion about his job.
The project may have been challenging and intense, but it was also been very rewarding for the artist. “I was very flattered, honoured!” he said about being asked to work on the project.
The project began with a first meeting at the Paris 2024 offices in Saint-Denis in June 2023. He received a clear brief and started right away. Even on his way back home, an idea started to formulate in his mind. And when he arrived at his house, he drew his first sketch.
“I immediately had an idea. I came home here to the studio and I already had the stadium in mind on my journey back. I wanted to make a Paris stadium. I had even already made a first sketch,” he explained, showing Olympics.com the files containing the sketches on his computer. Those initial sketches would become the drafts of the future posters for Paris 2024.
“I quickly added shadows to make it more meaningful and I pitched the idea to Joachim, who approved it."
Four months and 2,000 hours of intense work followed. Once the project was approved the artist explained he “went into detail”.
“I added buildings, changed the background, put in the shadow. I added the Tahiti wave and included Marseille,” he recalled, pointing to each element with precision.
Ugo Gattoni attended the unveiling alongside Joachim Roncin and the president of Paris 2024 Tony Estanguet
Paris 2024 posters: An exceptional poster for an exceptional event
The entirety of the posters were produced manually, without any AI assistance. From the first pencil stroke to the last splash of colour, everything was done by hand. This is why each character in the crowd is unique.
Gattoni also revealed that he continued to revise the old sketches in order to get a final result he was happy with.
“Then there are all the crowd sketches. At the time it was a bit messy, but I knew I wanted flags to be there, I wanted to put stairs here, and in the end, there you have it!" he concluded with the satisfied smile of someone who has accomplished his mission.
The designer had total creative freedom. While working to a brief and respecting the look of the Games, he still managed to maintain his own playful and joyful style.
This is why eight mascots are hidden within the posters. In fact, whatever age you are, there is something within the artwork that you will be able to enjoy.
The Paris 2024 project has been a dream come true for the illustrator. “I can’t wait to see what it looks like, to see how much people appreciate it and how much it will be circulated,” he said. “I am very happy with it.”
These exceptional posters for an exceptional event will be exhibited in a 5x4m format at the Musée d’Orsay over the coming days - an ideal opportunity for the public to appreciate all the fine details that make the artwork unique.
Where to buy the Paris 2024 posters
The posters will be available to purchase at the Musée d'Orsay and on the Paris 2024 shop website. From 5 March, they will also be made available within Paris 2024 stores and FNAC, a partner of the Paris 2024 Games. Later, they will be sold at Carrefour, another partner of Paris 2024.
