Alternative Olympics round-up

While we’ve all heard a million stories about the Olympic kebab shops forced to change their names, butchers forced to rearrange tiher sausage displays  and other such Orwellian tales, a few designers have still managed to sneak in their own unofficial creations relating to the London 2012 Olympics.

Olympic Logo A Day
Olympic Logo A Day

Olympic Vermin

Olympic Vermin is a lovely animation by Amael Isnard and Leo Bridle, showing the an alternative Olympic torch relay to the one that’s been taking place in London over the last week. An enterprising squirrel picks up discarded, still-burning cigarette from the ground in Soho Square, holds it aloft and runs as fast as his little squirrelly legs can carry him, scaling a tree and passing it onto a pigeon, who ignites a twig and continues the Odyssey down Old Street. A fish carries it along Regent’s Canal before a triumphant rat with a sparkler finally sets the cauldron (a bin near the Olympic park) aflame, a bin near the Olympic park. Wonder whether Heatherwick’s cauldron will look anything like that?

Olympic Logo A Day

Olympic Logo A Day is a self-initiated project by Sarah Hyndman, founder of the lovely Random Postcard Project , which has seen a new Olympic symbol created every day for the last year. Quite an undertaking. The famous Olympic rings are recreated in such diverse media as biscuits, bicycles, tomatoes, flipflops, fists, dogs, paperclips and tennis rackets.

Here’s the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et_-kS2uNu8

You can see all the entries on the blog here

The London Olympics ­ a comics journalist’s look at Britain’s ‘clean up’

The London Olympics by Tom Humberstone
The London Olympics by Tom Humberstone

Tom Humberstone, who publishes and edits the Solipsistic Pop comic anthologies has created The London Olympics ­ a comics journalist’s look at Britain’s ‘clean up’ for the Games. Humberstone’s comic looks at the effect of the Games on the increase in rent prices in east London, and documents how he feels the Olympics has impacted evictions, increased police actions and  heightened surveillance.

I Love Fanny

Quiet British Accent's I Love Fanny print
Quiet British Accent’s I Love Fanny print

Design duo Quiet British Accent (QBA) has created these cheeky prints and tote bags, emblazoned with the statement I Love Fanny. The project celebrates athlete Fanny Blankers-Koen, who competed in the 1948 London Olympics. She won four gold medals and as holder of the world records in the high jump and long jump at the time, could have won more, but was prevented by a rule limiting women to three individual events in track and field. Now, it’s hoped she can finally get the recognition she deserves – and 15 per cent of profits from sales will go towards women’s sports charities.

That Big Event in London Reality Check tote bags

Tobatron's tote bags
Tobatron’s tote bags

Artist Tobatron has created these ‘reality check’ bags that echo the gripes of Londoners who are a little sceptical of the Games. Phrases cheerfully splashed across an appropriation of the Olympic logo include ‘they’re all on steroids’ and ‘it only took me three hours to get to work this morning’. Proceeds from bags sold will go towards Khama, a women’s network charity in Malawi.

Pure Evil’s Looting print

Pure Evil's Looting print
Pure Evil’s Looting print

Street artist and gallerist Pure Evil has created this rather mischievous Looting print – showing a hooded thief nabbing one of the Olympic rings and scampering off with it.

Doping Thrower

Erik Ravelo's Doping Thrower installation
Erik Ravelo’s Doping Thrower installation

Cuban artist Erik Ravelo has created Doping Thrower, an art installation inspired by the Discobolus (the discus thrower), the famous statue by Myron, from around 445 B.C., which is a symbol of the passion for the Olympic Games and of the cult of human physical perfection. The sculpture is coated in hundreds of multicolour capsules, phials and tablets and a drip feed, commenting on the use of drugs to enhance the performance of athletes.

You can see the piece at Dray Walk Gallery 91 Brick Lane
Old Truman Brewery London E1 until 6 August.

Go 2012 App

Go 2012 app by Nic Mulveany of Allofus
Go 2012 app by Nic Mulveany of Allofus

Nic Mulveany of Allofus has created an unofficial Olympics guide app, Go 2012 . The app provides accurate schedules, medals and news for people to keep track of the games, with a live 2012 medal table, Olympic medal history and Olympic news. It’s available on iPad, iPhone and Android platforms.

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  • Rembrandz November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Interesting compilation. Thanks for sharing

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