CULTURAL REPRESENTATION AND MODERN VISUAL IDENTITY IN PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC PICTOGRAMS

Paris 2024 Olympic pictograms illustrate features of French culture and are presented with a contemporary visual appearance; however, in some instances, they do not accurately depict the sport that they illustrate. The purpose of this research is to analyze the visual identity of Paris 2024 Olympic pictograms to assess how French culture is illustrated and whether they can be applied for visual design and issues of the contemporary global society. The study employs a visual culture approach with particular focus on the examination of prevailing visual themes—form, color, and symbols—and how they are entwined with the cultural politics of France. The study points to the effect of Art Deco themes, symbolic representation of city heritage, and narrative quality of sustainability present in the pictograms. Moreover, the study demonstrates a departure from the traditional application of human images using abstract and non-human objects so that it is possible to pursue a more abstract visual language. The practice reflects France's modern identity and commitment to progress at the cost of diminishing universal readability of the pictograms to the international community. The findings shed light on what has been established regarding the representation of culture's influence on visual communication in international events.