The Olympian Artists programme, promoted by the Olympic Museum on behalf of the International Olympic Committee -IOC- and in collaboration with Italian cultural institutions, is preparing for a new edition to be held in Milan and Venice between September 2025 and February 2026. Its aim is to showcase how Olympic and Paralympic athletes channel their creativity into artistic projects that engage local communities.

The initiative brings together five athletes with distinguished sporting careers and diverse artistic profiles. Among them is Estonia’s Egle Uljas, who competed in athletics at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and will open the programme with a piano recital and public discussion. Italy’s Simone Barlaam, Paralympic swimming champion at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, will lead the creation of a mural in Milan inspired by the values of the Paralympic Movement.

Building bridges between sport and community

Romania’s Alexandra Ianculescu, who competed in speed skating at PyeongChang 2018, will host an illustration workshop exploring community identity and local symbols. Slovakian Slaven Dizdarević, a decathlete at Beijing 2008, will guide families and school groups in collective painting sessions designed to express concepts such as speed and strength.

Jordan’s Zeina Rashid, who represented her country in table tennis at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, will work with students in the Veneto region to reinterpret Olympic symbols and connect them with their personal aspirations. In parallel, Barlaam will run workshops for schoolchildren in Venice aimed at raising awareness of disability in sport.

Olympic Art at the Venice Biennale

Launched in 2018 by the Olympic Museum on behalf of the IOC, the programme has so far supported 28 athletes from 16 countries, resulting in more than 80 works across disciplines such as painting, music and design. Participants are selected according to criteria that include the educational relevance of their proposals and the diversity of their profiles and artistic practices.

At the same time, the programme will form part of the 17th International Kids’ Carnival at La Biennale di Venezia, where three of the athletes will deliver up to twelve workshops for children and families. These activities are designed to engage young audiences and their communities with Olympic values through accessible and participatory artistic experiences.

The five selected athletes were chosen from 38 proposals submitted through an open call. The Olympic Museum assessed factors such as alignment with the themes of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, the educational dimension of the projects, prior experience, language skills and overall diversity. In addition, the institution maintains an Olympian Artists database via the Athlete365 platform, offering opportunities for athletes with artistic interests to participate in future editions.