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About the Artiade

Artiade – Olympics of Art is the world’s only merit-based international art exhibition, uniting hundreds of artists from across the globe in a biennial celebration of artistic excellence. Held in rotating host cities every two years, Artiade selects artists through a process where identity remains hidden from the jury — ensuring that artistic merit alone determines participation.

Through this approach, Artiade empowers artists to represent the full diversity of their cultures. There are no thematic constraints, no gallery requirements, no political appointments. Works are evaluated purely on excellence, creating equal opportunity for emerging and established voices alike.

The result is a genuine cross-section of contemporary global art, selected for merit alone.

Art Magazine logo

”It is the artists’ works that tell us about life in the countries from which they come…”

Gerhard Mack – ART Magazine Germany.

The Origin: From Vision to Reality

Breaking New Ground

In the early 1990s, Artiade founder Renate Westhoff was already challenging conventions in the art world. Working with galleries from New York to Prague’s National Gallery, she recognized a fundamental limitation: traditional gallery and museum exhibitions reached only a limited circle of art enthusiasts.

“I wanted to bring art to the people, not wait for people to come to art,” Westhoff reflects. This pioneering approach was unusual for its time, but it led to innovative exhibition concepts that created new pathways for artistic expression.

Her early projects demonstrated this philosophy in action: “Light and Art” for a German lighting company, a world-renowned fairytale illustrators exhibition in a municipal multipurpose hall, and “Art Match” at the Goethe-Institut Chicago during the 1994 FIFA World Cup — featuring artists from nations whose teams competed against the German soccer team.

The overwhelming success of “Art Match” revealed something crucial: audiences at major sporting events actively seek cultural enrichment. This insight sparked intensive research into what cultural programming existed at the Olympic Games.

Historical Foundation

Westhoff’s research journey took her from examining modern Olympic history back through the centuries to ancient Greece. At the Freiburg University Library, she discovered detailed accounts of how deeply the ancient Greeks valued artists — standing alongside athletes as equals in cultural significance.

“The ancient sources were revelatory,” Westhoff recalls. “Artists weren’t just present at the Games — they were celebrated as masters of their craft, just as athletes were. This profound respect for artistic achievement alongside physical excellence became the foundation of my vision.”

To ground her concept academically, Westhoff consulted Prof. Dr. Hans-H. Hofstätter, art historian and Director of the Freiburg Museums (later recipient of the Federal Cross of Merit, First Class). His scholarly analysis of the ancient tradition confirmed that while Pierre de Coubertin had envisioned a link between art and sport when he revived the Games in 1896, previous attempts had failed because they confined artists to sporting themes — limiting expression and attracting mediocrity rather than excellence.

Artiade pursued a fundamentally different aim: inviting artists to represent their cultures authentically rather than conform to predetermined themes.

From Vision to Reality

In 1996, parallel to the XXVI Olympic Games, the first Artiade – Olympics of Art took place in the heart of Atlanta. Artists from Olympic nations presented their works as authentic expressions of their cultural identities — reflections of their social backgrounds, political realities, cultural roots, and living traditions. Through their art, diverse worldviews became visible. The vision had become reality.

How Artists Are Selected

Anonymous Evaluation

At the core of Artiade is a distinct approach to artist selection: the jury evaluates works without knowing who created them. This ensures that artistic merit alone determines participation — quality transcends reputation, politics, or connections.

The process creates genuine equal opportunity. An emerging artist from a small nation competes on the same terms as an established name from a major art capital. The work speaks for itself.

Distinguished International Jury

Each edition assembles a jury of curators, museum directors, and cultural leaders from major institutions worldwide. Past jury members have included:

  • Tereza de Arruda – Art historian, curator of Documenta 11, former curator of the Goethe-Institut in São Paulo (Brazil)
  • Prof. Carol Becker – Dean of Faculty of the Arts, Chicago (United States)
  • Prof. Dr. Wang Huangsheng – Director, China Central Academy of Fine Arts, Guangzhou (People’s Republic of China)
  • Lucia Meihua Lee – Director, National Museum of Fine Art (Taiwan); Executive Director, Taiwanese American Arts Council New York (United States)
  • Spyros Mercouris – Curator, Producer, Director of Documentary Films; Honorary President of “Cultural Capitals and Cultural Months of Europe” (Greece)
  • Delfin Colome – President of the Asia-Europe Foundation (Singapore)
  • Elizabeth Ware Howsam – Artistic Director, Culture Lab, LIC, New York (United States)
  • Edward Joseph Wheeler – Executive Director, Culture Lab, LIC, New York (United States)

Exhibition History

Atlanta 1996

The first Artiade took place in 1996 parallel to the XXVI Olympic Games in Atlanta. The founding vision became reality, proving that a merit-based international art exhibition could unite nations through cultural excellence.

Athens 2004

When the Olympic Games returned to Greece, their birthplace, Artiade held its second edition in Athens alongside them — reconnecting with the ancient tradition at its place of origin.

This edition reached over 150 artists from more than 80 nations, demonstrating the concept’s growing international recognition. The Asia-Europe Foundation formally endorsed the project, citing “its effect on the promotion of cultural exchange and mutual understanding across national boundaries.” Government and cultural ministry endorsements from multiple nations validated Artiade’s role in cultural diplomacy.

A New Path Forward

When Artiade began preparing its return in 2020, the approach evolved. While maintaining its philosophical foundation — fostering international connection among peoples and cultures through the language of art — Artiade established itself as an independent platform no longer tied to Olympic host cities or timing. The exhibition schedule also shifted from quadrennial (every four years, aligned with the Olympics) to biennial (every two years), doubling the opportunities for artists and audiences alike.

This independence allows Artiade to select host cities based on cultural fit, pursue its mission on its own terms, and build recognition as a distinct cultural institution. The more frequent biennial schedule ensures consistent cultural presence. The spiritual connection to fostering international unity through artistic excellence remains central; the operational independence strengthens Artiade’s ability to fulfill that ideal consistently.

New York 2024

The first edition under this independent model brought Artiade to New York. The successful return demonstrated Artiade’s capacity to unite diverse global communities while maintaining the rigorous merit-based selection that defines the exhibition.

What Makes Artiade Different

Artiade centers around bringing nations together — art is the language, cultural exchange is the purpose. Works are evaluated anonymously, independent of market trends, gallery affiliations, or collector demand. The result is culturally representative art selected for excellence.

Beyond the exhibition, Artiade creates permanent cultural documentation. Works are featured in catalogs with ISBN registration, studied by scholars, and become part of documented art history. Artiade also maintains ongoing visibility for participating artists between editions — featuring them on social media, preserving their work in physical and digital catalogs, and maintaining their presence on the Artiade website.

The merit-based credential itself — proof that an independent international jury selected their work — opens doors for artists that remain open long after the exhibition concludes.

Institutional Recognition

Artiade has earned recognition from the highest levels of international cultural and Olympic leadership.

Olympic Leadership

Dr. Thomas Bach – President, International Olympic Committee (IOC), Switzerland:

“I will be happy to support your project of an Artiade 2000 on the occasion of the Olympic Games in Sydney, especially since the connection of sport and culture is an essential concern of the International Olympic Committee.

After the success of your ARTIADE in Atlanta in 1996, I am sure that you will also succeed in presenting a discerning, interesting and successful exhibition in Sydney. To this end, I wish you personally and all the artists involved every success.”

German Government

Johannes Rau – President of the Federal Republic of Germany:

“It is nice and important that young artists from all over the world can enrich and critically accompany the international sporting event with the culture of their home countries.”

Dr. Michael Naumann – Minister for Media and Culture to the Chancellor, Federal Republic of Germany:

“You rightly point out that for the ancient world, sporting activity and sporting competition were part of a cultural context with close links to art and religion. The basic idea of your concept, that the countries participating in the Olympic Games select, in addition to the athletes, artists to represent them at the site of the Olympic Games in the sense of a peaceful competition of the arts, deserves support.”

International Diplomacy

Delfin Colome – President, Asia-Europe Foundation, Singapore:

“ASEF believes that this project is worthy of support, in view of its effect on the promotion of cultural exchange and mutual understanding across national boundaries.”

Letters of Support

The full list and original letters of support for Artiade are listed below: