TEMPLATE – FRANCE98 – Press Release
Paris, 23 November 1997
The 10 Official Host City Posters for the 1998 World Cup
Between 10 June and 12 July 1998, ten cities will play host to the 16th Football World Cup.
To underline the essential role that they are to play in the organisation and success of FRANCE 98, the French Organising Committee wanted each host city to be closely linked with the Official Posters designed for the event. Thus, a series of 11 posters are to go on display for the tournament, one exclusive poster for each host city, in addition to the Official Poster of the 16th World Cup.
The French Organising Committee gave each of the host cities the responsibility of dreaming up their own poster, in calling on the talent of the local art school students and young local artists. The CFO had two objectives in mind: it wanted the city’s Official Poster to be designed by someone from the city itself, and it also wanted, once again, to put youth at the heart of FRANCE 98.
In the Spring of 1997, according to a schedule of conditions identical for each city, a competition was launched by the French Organising Committee in Bordeaux, Lens, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, Paris, Saint-Denis, Saint-Etienne and Toulouse among Ecole de Dessin (design school) and Beaux-Arts students, as well as local artists and independent organisations (as was the case in Lens and Saint-Denis).
In the Autumn of 1997, a jury composed largely of local figures met up in each city to choose the project which, in becoming the Official City Poster, also becomes the city’s identity tag on a local, national and international level. A poster which will be graven in the annals of the 16th Football World Cup.
DATES AND SELECTION OF PROJECTS
The competition began in March 1997, as of when the entrants received and accepted the regulations.
After an initial selection carried out locally by schools and young artists, each city had to send 10 projects to the French Organising Committee by 30 June 1997 at the latest.
The French Organising Committee checked that the projects all conformed with the artistic conditions and regulations.
The projects then selected were returned to the students during the summer of 1997 to be given the finishing touches. No modification was permitted to any work unless expressly mentioned by the French Organising Committee and/or an official representative of the city. All the work was then finalised and sent back to the French Organising Committee for 30 September 1997.
October/November 1997: lastly, in each host city, a jury was appointed to decide which of the different entries was to become the Official City Poster. Comprising local figures in the main (members of local government, art school directors, representatives from the local or regional football world, etc.), each jury also included representatives from the French Organising Committee.
THE ARTISTS
To see your entry chosen as your City’s Official Poster for the World Cup is a marvellous opportunity for any up-and-coming artist. The French Organising Committee wanted each poster to be signed by the artist, so that he or she could glean as much benefit as possible from this achievement. All the winners will thus be getting the maximum amount of local, national and even international recognition.
Each winner will also receive a cash prize from the French Organising Committee, as well as a gift of art paper from Arjo Wiggins, one of the 1998 World Cup Equipment Suppliers.
Along with the logo and the FRANCE 98 mascot, this series of posters will be of key importance in establishing the identity of the 16th World Cup.
UNVEILING
The French Organising Committee wished that each Official Poster should be not only designed in the very city for which it was intended, but also unveiled there for the first time in public, in whatever way each city saw fit.
This first public showing is to be followed on the 23 November 1997 by a second viewing, this time on a national scale.
The 10 Official City posters will be presented at the same time that the Official Poster for the 16th Football World Cup is unveiled. This poster will also have been chosen from the entries submitted by the same range of young artists in all the World Cup host cities.
But for that prize, there will only be one winner!
WINNERS OF THE CITY POSTER COMPETITION
BORDEAUX
Marie ARTERO et Elise MASSENET Ecole de Communication Visuelle de Bordeaux 42, quai Chartrons 33000 Bordeauxtel : 05 56 52 90 52
LENS
Georges POKKER Hôtel de Ville de Lens Secrétaire Général : Serge Kuzniak62307 Lens Cedex
tel : 03 21 69 86 86
LYON
Maxime CHAPON Ecole d’Arts Appliqués de Lyon 1, square Edouard Mouriquand 69009 Lyontel : 04 78 83 27 97
MARSEILLE
Marta RUEDA Ecole Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Marseille Domaine de Lumigny – 70, route Léon Lachand 13009 Marseilletel : 04 91 41 01 44
MONTPELLIER
Véronique SOLSONA Ecole Régionale des Beaux-Arts de Montpellier-District 27, avenue de Nimes 34000 Montpelliertel : 04 67 72 68 20
NANTES
Sandra NIKOLIC Ecole Régionale des Beaux-Arts de Nantes 3, rue Fénelon 44000 Nantestel : 02 40 41 58 00
PARIS
Fabien JOUANNEAU Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris 14, rue Bonaparte 75006 Paristel : 01 47 03 50 00
SAINT-DENIS
Sylvie DECUGIS Hôtel de Ville de Saint-Denis Mélina Cohen, Attachée de Presse 93205 Saint-Denis Cedextel : 01 49 33 62 83
SAINT-ETIENNE
Gaël ABEGG-GAUTHEY Ecole Régionale des Beaux-Arts de Saint-Etienne 15, rue Henry Gonnard 42000 Saint-Etiennetel : 04 77 47 88 00
TOULOUSE
Brice DEVOS Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Toulouse 5, quai Daurade 31000 Toulousetel : 05 61 23 25 49