Olympic Ceremonies as Relational Machines

This book offers a fresh way of understanding Olympic ceremonies by presenting them as living systems shaped by people, technology, and shared emotion. It argues that these events act as future-making mechanisms, guided by “multitudes” of artists, policymakers, and soft activists who collectively shape what ceremonies can express and imagine. Across its five chapters, the book shows how Olympic ceremonies operate as “relational machines” in which social groups interact with computational, technological, and audiovisual installations. This perspective reveals the limits placed on creative freedom, while also highlighting the non-utilitarian, atmospheric, and affective nature of ceremonial events. Through examples such as the Paris 2024 opening ceremony, it explores how designers balance official expectations with imaginative storytelling, exposing the tensions that define modern large-scale public gatherings. The book will appeal to students and scholars of international events and Olympic culture, as well as professional bodies, organisers of major ceremonies, and sports journalists.