OLYMP'ARTS 2023 is a world-class artistic festival and celebration organized every four years and opens to artists from all over the world. The theme of OLYMP'ARTS 2023 is “environment, climate and energy”, which is closely related to Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. The OLYMP'ARTS 2023 Opening Ceremony will be held at 10 o'clock in the morning on October 5th at the Zappeion, Athens, Greece.

Before that, OLYMP'ARTS team will come to Delphi, Greece for the Holy Spring Collection Ceremony, aiming to connect ancient Greece with today's modern OLYMP'ARTS. The holy spring water from Delphi will be handed over to six children from all six continents, each pouring it into the oceans of their respective continents, symbolizing OLYMP'ARTS' close connection with artists from all around the world. This is a link surpassing time and space, a reflection and anticipation, and a tracing of origins and hopes, carrying boundless blessings for OLYMP'ARTS 2023.

From left to right: Ms. Min Gao, Founder of Beijing Xingneng Foundation, Olympic diving champion and IOC Olympic artist, WOAC Executive President Ms. Rachel Qin, Mr. Minqi Fan, famous ceramicist. A photo with OLYMP’ARTS 2023 Holy Spring Collection Ceremony Container

The World Olymp'Arts Council specially invited Ms. Min Gao, Founder of Beijing Xingneng Foundation, Olympic diving champion and IOC Olympic artist, Mr. Changxin Zhou, Painter and President of OLYMP'ARTS 2023 China Area, and Mr. Minqi Fan, famous ceramicist to collaboratively create container for the Holy Spring Collection Ceremony to contribute to the host of OLYMP'ARTS 2023. This action is to touch the vision of OLYMP'ARTS through the cooperation between art and sports, and to touch the past and future of OLYMP'ARTS through ancient and modern pottery.

OLYMP'ARTS 2023 Holy Spring Collection Ceremony Containers

Recently, we visited Jingdezhen, the capital of ceramics, and, in the form of guest interviews and video recordings, we entered the creation site of the container for the OLYMP'ARTS 2023 Holy Spring Collection Ceremony. We encountered the artistic creative process, witnessed the sparks from the collision between OLYMP'ARTS and Chinese ceramic culture. In this episode, we are pleased to present the wonderful insights from Mr. Minqi Fan and Mr. Min Gao.

Ceramic Master Minqi Fan

Water Can Melt Every Artistic Style of OLYMP'ARTS

Interview of Chinese Ceramist Minqi Fan

Q:Thank you very much for accepting the invitation to create the container for the OLYMP'ARTS 2023 Holy Spring Collection Ceremony. Could you share the starting point of your creation?

Fan:I am very honored to receive President Qin's invitation for the thematic creation of the Holy Spring Collection Ceremony container. I thought that the vessel must have a general plan, which encompasses three aspects: first, the color, what kind of visual feeling should the vessel provide? Second, the shape, it needs symbols of ancient Greek or ancient Roman styles, symbols that align internationally. Last, the material, what kind of texture and state do we need?

So, I considered these three aspects: color, shape, and material. Finally, as for the content attached to the vessel, I chose a world map because OLYMP'ARTS is indeed an international event.

Q:What specific requirements did the points of color, shape, and material set for your creation?

Fan:I believe there are five requirements: First, the color should have a matte finish, meaning a non-glossy color. Second, the shape should have a spiral texture on the upper and lower parts, making it very stable to hold. Third, the shape is an evolution of traditional forms and is also very modern. Fourth, the content, color, shape, and material should all harmonize with each other, being in the same tone. Last, it should have a broad, market-oriented acceptability, considering its audience.

Q:We know that the creation of the container for the OLYMP'ARTS 2023 Holy Spring Collection Ceremony is a collaborative effort across disciplines. What insights can you share about this collaborative process?

Fan:Yes, the most critical aspect is that we invited Olympic diving champion, Ms. Min Gao. She's an athlete in diving, which aligns well with the Olympic concept and, in a sense, embodies the spirit of the Olympics. I think there's a synergy between the two. With her involvement, the design of the OLYMP'ARTS 2023 Holy Spring Collection container will be more complete.

Ms. Gao brought up a crucial point related to the representation of the feminine aspect. For example, she considered how the vessel can be held more comfortably from a human perspective and how the children participating in the event can handle its weight.

Of course, it is indeed a cross-disciplinary collaboration, but the overall spirit, I believe, is highly compatible. One event is the competitive Olympics, and the other is the artistic Olympics, and they share a solid foundation that can blend well together.

Q:How do you view the Holy Spring Collection in Delphi in August? Do you have any words of encouragement for the opening ceremony of the OLYMP'ARTS 2023 in Athens in October?

Fan:The Holy Spring Collection marks the beginning of the OLYMP'ARTS 2023 and has a special sense of solemnity. I feel that the collection of holy spring, particularly water, has the power to melt various artistic styles of OLYMP'ARTS.

I hope that the OLYMP'ARTS 2023 will use arts connecting the world and will light up the world with art.

OLYMP'ARTS 2023 Documentary of Holy Spring Collection Ceremony Container

“Diving Queen” Min Gao

Diving is often regarded as performing art

Interview of Ms. Min Gao, Founder of Beijing Xingneng Foundation, Olympic diving champion and IOC Olympic artist

Q:Thank you very much for accepting the invitation to collaborate on the creation of the container for the OLYMP'ARTS 2023. What unique feelings did you have when collaborating with the Chinese ceramic master Minqi Fan?

Gao:I feel very lucky to be able to collaborate with Master Minqi Fan on this artwork. During our collaborative process, he taught me a lot about the concepts and considerations of ceramic art, including the combination of glazes and the use of lines.

Q: How do you think your experience as a diving athlete has contributed to this artistic creation?

Gao:When I was an athlete, the requirements for the human body's lines were very strict, involving every detail of it. The position of your hands, the position of your head, and other factors had strict requirements. By connecting certain movements and dynamic elements, it can make artistic expression more vivid. So I believe the artwork we've created will certainly have a strong sense of life.

Q:What is it like for you to create ceramic art in Jingdezhen, known as the Ceramic Capital of China?

Gao:The Olympic Games have a history of nearly 3,000 years, and the firing of ceramics in Jingdezhen has a history of over 1,800 years. This is a convergence point of history. Experiencing the process of culture passed down for thousands of years step by step, I find it very exciting. Choosing Jingdezhen as the creation of the container for the Holy Spring Collection Ceremony has great significance, and I look forward to the moment when our Chinese Jingdezhen-made vessel collects the holy water. It will be a very beautiful moment.

Q:How do you see the relationship between sports competitions and artistic creation from your perspective?

Gao:At the beginning of the modern Olympic Games, sports like diving and gymnastics were considered performing arts, and art disciplines, such as painting, were also part of the Olympic program. They were later separated because art couldn't be judged by referees as sports can be judged using a stopwatch. So, I believe the relationship between sports competitions and artistic creation is very close, representing the exquisite fusion of health and beauty.

Q:What message do you have for the OLYMP'ARTS 2023 Opening Ceremony in Athens in October and the Holy Spring Collection Ceremony in Delphi in August?

Gao:Art itself is a bridge that connects the world, the only one that we can understand without the need for language. I believe that OLYMP'ARTS 2023 will be a complete success, bringing together artists from all over the world, including those who love sports, culture, art, and culture, to create a new world for the world to see.

OLYMP'ARTS 2023 Documentary of Holy Spring Collection Ceremony Container

From left to right: WOAC Executive President Ms. Rachel Qin, Ms. Min Gao, Founder of Beijing Xingneng Foundation, Olympic diving champion and IOC Olympic artist, General Secretary of Beijing Xingneng Foundation Ms. Jian Li, and Mr. Minqi Fan, famous ceramicist. A photo about them discussing about the container

Starting with the Holy Spring Collection in Delphi, Greece, OLYMP'ARTS has specially produced an official promotional video titled "The Song of Water." The video showcases the styles of artists from different regions and distills their artistic themes, including the "rhythm" presented by 2023 OLYMP'ARTS Goodwill Ambassador and renowned pianist Mr. Lang Lang. Through artists, artworks, and artistic ideas, it tells the story of the origin, creation, exchange, and prospects of art, once again reflecting the original intention of OLYMP'ARTS founder President Marc Verriere: to bring the world together and unite it through the universal beauty carried by art.