The 2004 Athens Olympic Games Opening Ceremony review
The Olympic Games in Greece across two Millennia
The 2004 Athens Summer Olympics, in the history of Olympic opening and closing ceremonies, stands out for its historical importance and the collective rave it received from domestic and international spectators alike. Directed by Dimitris Papaioannou, a Greek choreographer and artist, the largely positive reception is a proof of the production being victorious in bringing out the iconic messages and cultural significance that the game and the nation withholds. Adding in the incredible usage of never before seen technology for an Olympic event, the show continues to leave viewers awestruck to this day. The smooth narrative coupled with the complex technical networks not leaving any stone unturned in symbolising Greece, produced an ingenious exhibition. After the mandates of the Olympic Games Charter were met, the two theatrical sections brought out a surreal show.
Allegory, the first artistic piece, started off with an accurate representation of the self identity of a modern Greek citizen formed with respect to the influential role the nation played in the molding of conceptual beliefs and in laying down ideals humanity has based itself upon and how, as time passed, puts them on a cultural pedestal. It also, through the usage of sculptures, recognised the attempts of early humans in understanding oneself. This is very well portrayed by the recitation of the verses from Mythistorema 3, a poem by the Nobel Prize laureate and poet Giorgos Seferis. A woman can be seen holding a marble sculpture head inside the stadium as the lines, “it exhausts my elbow and I don’t know where to put it down” are recited which symbolizes the same idea. A female centaur, Centaurides, can then be seen throwing a javelin which lands on a Cycladic idol that then emerges from an artificial lake. Centaurs are Greek monsters that are notable to the closeness to humans and is a representation of a creature caught between the two natures of the world, the untamed and the tamed and is also a recurring character in Greek folk literature. Javelin is a sport that was introduced in the ancient Olympic Games held as a part of the pentathlon in 708 BC. The sculpture which proceeds to break down into pieces in a Russian doll format, revealing two kouros, one nested in another, is a nod to ancient art. The various symbols and diagrams that were displayed using light on the human Cycladic art consisted of the various advancements in philosophy, politics, science, mathematics and art in ancient Greece including the Pythogorean triangle, the structure of atoms among many others. The usage of symbols and messages that are exclusive to Greek history, from the very first human representation of oneself in the form of the Cycladic art to the display of laser images through an Apollonian character, gives the viewer a deeper insight on what the transition from cosmos to topos meant to the modern Greeks reaffirming that they are the representatives of the prehistoric and ancient Greek civilization.
The artistic piece that followed was a grand parade of immensely diverse figures from various points in history in a linear series. Displayed through tableaux floats that is foreseen by Eros, the Greek god of love, an array of artists can be seen taking the viewers through a continual portrayal of symbols from the Minoan Times, Hellinstic Period, Byzantine Period to the modern period and postwar Greece in a visually marvellous show. Ranging from references to politics using Alexander the Great, philosophy, ancient Olympic sporting events, art forms and lifestyle of the archaic period, the foundation of life and the aspects surrounding it were brilliantly explored. The segment was successful in comparing the past with the present, showcasing art and life of ancient times that gradually led to the first modern Olympics that was held in 1896 and later, postwar Greece. The message that the Olympic Games transitioned from a local tradition to a globally celebrated sporting event is also carefully depicted. The sequence ends with a pregnant woman with a glowing belly looking up to the sky which illuminates the DNA sequence, maker of all life forms. This can be interpreted as an attempt to convey the potential of human life and how everyone plays the same role in the universe but is also uniquely made up by their own identity. With all the artists marching together in the stadium mixing the past and the present, the theme of convergence is shown.
Despite numerous pre-events skepticism that were running around siting that the current economic and global stand of the country might work against them, arguing that the nation might be incapable in hosting the Games and even if so, will poorly handle the historical significance that comes along with it, Greece was undoubtedly triumphant in silencing those doubtful remarks. The creative marriage of the past with the present, along with completely nurturing the artistic meaning behind cosmos and topos, the jaw-dropping ceremony articulated the pure and unique form of the Greek national identity.
Watch the Athens 2004 Opening Ceremony here:
