LAUSANNE.- On view now and until 18 January 2015, The Olympic Museum in Lausanne is hosting a new exhibition entitled Chasing Time, which takes the visitor on a journey through time, as it is experienced in sport, socially, technologically and artistically.

It is no coincidence that the Olympic motto starts with “Faster”. Time is one of the essential elements for designating winners and losers and for establishing records. Time, in a sporting context, is measured and quantified, but it also incites enthusiasm and passion. The passage of time is inexorable, but this exhibition aims to show Man’s ingeniousness and the artistic creativity that can lead to the observation and study of time, be it in painting, sculpture, music or cinema.

Through inventive scenography by Lorenzo Greppi, the visitor discovers a route organised around nine themed sectors, which clearly illustrate the changes and evolution of the perception of time throughout history. This scenography observes the evolution of the understanding of time, starting at the natural and cyclical notion of the Ancient Games, passing through the first stages of linear time and clock time, and ending at the production of highly specialised systems for measuring and recording time, thanks to the manufacture of high-precision instruments today. The information is punctuated with sociological and philosophical points of view. Quotes from athletes are presented alongside others from writers, while sporting activity, as it relates to Time, dialogues with the arts.

The works on display include chronophotographic images by Marey; Pianola, a work by Mel Brimfield created in 2012 as a tribute to Roger Bannister’s record; and a metaphorical work by Michelangelo Pistoletto entitled The Etruscan on the past, present and future.

A rich schedule of events backs up the exhibition. These include A meeting with… philosopher Raphaël Enthoven on 11 June; a series of three concerts, including the Poème symphonique for 100 metronomes by György Ligeti on 29 June; and three performances of Stéphane Verrue’s play, Tempus Tic Tac, from 29 through 31 August. Omega is setting up Time Workshops led by Omega Timing veteran Peter Huerzeler, who has attended 17 editions of the Olympic Games.

Finally, an educational programme entitled Time for Learning invites young visitors to discover the importance of time in sport and to understand the notions of duration and speed.

Tackling the subject of Time in sport could be limited simply to measuring sporting Time. However, this notion leads us way beyond measuring performance, no matter how sophisticated this aspect may be. Chasing Time allows us to explore the subtle relationship between Time and sport, an echo of Man’s constant ambition to measure himself against the Titans.

Exhibition curator: Kath Woodward
Scenography: Lorenzo Greppi