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The Olympics closing ceremony in Paris saw a character known as ‘The Golden Voyager’ at the centre of the spectacle.
The vision of Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the closing ceremony, saw the glittering figure lowered from the roof of the Stade de France before gliding across the stage on the pitch.
It is a continuation of Jolly’s imagination, having delivered the masked torchbearer and a horse rider at the opening ceremony.
The IOC stated that “a Golden Voyager lands in a world that is deserted and mysterious, ready to explore.”
The character is a tribute to a number of references from France’s historical heritage, starting with the Spirit of the Bastille, while creatures from science fiction and video games also provide inspiration to its inception.
The idea behind the character is to see it dominate the night at the iconic stadium as it’s turned into a monumental theatre, Jolly states.
And its presentation is enhanced by the chiaroscuro light effects and a score by Clément Mirguet.
The character’s quest then sees it encounter Nike, the goddess of victory, who is linked to the ancient Olympic Games, and it takes on the features of the statue of the Victory of Samothrace, which can be seen in theLouvre.
As the ceremony progressed, the Olympic rings were then excavated by the Golden Voyager.
The conclusion of the piece saw the Golden Voyager elevated by a cast of dancers underneath the golden Olympic rings before a series of fireworks were set off around the perimeter of the Stade de France’s roof.
As the segment of the ceremony concluded, the athletes were released to the fill the gaps on the outside of the stage before a performance from French band Phoenix.
The figure is interpreted by Arthur Cadre, while the costume was created by Kevin Germanier.
