What do you do when you come to Paris with teenagers before December 31 and after? Maybe you were once a teenager interested in video games, skateboarding and breaking. Discover an exhibition on the origins of sport and urban cultures. Explore the origins at SPOT24 near the Eiffel Tower until December 31. Spot24 is a combination of exhibition and the Paris Tourist Office (Paris Je t’aime). If you miss this exhibition, don’t worry. Paris has activities for you sportive teens. Paris has public spaces to practice the urban sports of skateboarding, climbing, 3×3 basketball and breaking. One visit may not be enough. My second visit was private and very special. Two of the artists presented their works. One artist sculpts with marble. The other combines athletics and dance. The curator gave us the tour in French. The Paris Tourist Office translator presented the explanations in English.
Something new to learn
Paris Tourist Office and Spot24 Eiffel Tower Bir-Hakeim metro until December 31, 2024 
Exterior of Temporary Paris Tourist Office – theme Paris je t’aime 101 quai Jacques Chirac, Paris 15e 
RER C Champs de Mars – Tour Eiffel exit for Spot 24 and the Paris Tourist Office 
Free magazine Gala Paris Spot24 Paris Tourist Office 
Booklet Guide 
Booklet Guide Games
The SPOT24 exhibition is immersive and interactive. I visited the exhibition twice. As a result, my understanding of sport and urban cultures is 100% better. QR codes are available for audio narratives and a self-guided tour in French and English. For children, an activity booklet is also provided.
The entrance is free. It is a short walk from line 6 Bir-Hakeim metro stop. The RER C (Champs de Mars Eiffel Tower) exit is across the road.
Something for everyone
3×3 Basketball Tokyo 2020 
One of the vintage video games available to play on at Spot24 
Skateboard Origins 1960-1978 
Skateboard torch – “Road to Tokyo” project begun in 2016 and reached Tokyo for the Olympics 2020 Lausanne Olympic Museum Collection no artist name 
Skateboard Project “Road to Tokyo” description 
François Gautret pointing out past Olympic artifacts from a private collection 
Paris Skate Culture collection of skateboards 
Red shoes made especially for sliding down a hand rail. Similar ones are on display at the Palais Galliera Musée de la Mode 
Breaking Vinyl Album Covers 
QR Code example to learn more about 3×3 basketball French and English 
QR Code about skateboarding 
QR Code BMX Freestyle 
QR Code for Breaking 
Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Torch Collection Olympic Museum Lausanne collection 
Singapore 2010 Youth Games Torch 
Description of Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games symbol of innovation and dynamism of 3×3 basketball Torch Collection Olympic Museum Lausanne 
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch 
Description of the 2020 Olympic Torch Olympic Museum Lausanne collection
In fact, this exhibition has something for everyone. It includes artwork and actual torches from past Olympics and Youth Games. There are old video games and interactive displays. It pays tribute to six new Olympic disciplines: skateboarding, sport climbing, BMX freestyle, surfing, 3×3 basketball and breaking. Researching urban sports was an education. I explored images and terminology. Numerous websites offered details and videos on the sports, which helped in the research.
New York City Breakers photo by Martha Cooper 1984 – The group went to the 1984 LA Olympics 
Duperré Basketball Court, Pigalle 75009 photo by Sébastien Michelini 
Display label for Stephane Ashpool Duperré Pigalle Basketball Court Pigalle 9th arrondissement 
Léo Caillard Artist, Sculptor at SPOT24 with Hipster in Stone Venus 2020 in the background 
Léo Caillard Hipster in Stone XVI (2017) Inspired by the tombstone of Ottaviano-Fabrizio Mossotti, Campo Santo, Pisa (Italy) 
Léo Caillard Hipster in Stone Venus 2020-marble – Inspired by the Capitoline Venus, Capitoline Museum, Rome (Italy) 
Hipster in Stone Laocoon Leo Caillard Inspired by the Laocoon, Vatican Museum, Rome 
Footwork Graphic System August 27, 2023 Alexia Guyon 
Street Artist/Sculptor Alexis Moreau-Le Diamantaire – diamond theme project with glass mirrors 
Description of artist, Alexis Moreau, alias Le Diamantaire Trajectoire Studio, Basketball hoop in Mirrored Glass 2023 Spot24 Paris Tourist Office 
Miguel Díaz Vizoso, Smurf Breaker 2022, pencil drawing “Smurf” was a hip hop dance in the 1980s – the term “smurf” is only used in French; otherwise known as “popping” to describe a dance move. Part of the RStyle Collection 
Philippe Baudelocque “Univers” 2023 Oil Pastel Drawing reduced-sized mural. Original created in 2019, Centre Sportif Philppe Auguste 11th arrondissement 
Kraken, Street Artist who uses an octopus for his art. The octopus is represented on hiphop and breakdance vinyl albums 
Finger Skatepark: Nicolas Pierre (miniature) and Artof Popof (graffiti work) 
Breaking moves by the New York City Breakers 
PichAvo B-Boy and B-Girl paintings Breaking the Seine 2023 
PichAvo B-Boy and B-Girl paintings Breaking the Seine 2023
Art plays a large role in the SPOT24 exhibition. It features original creations by French and international artists. Some of these artists include Street artists Kraken and Alexis Moreau (the Diamantaire), two Spanish artists, PichiAvo. Other notable artists are Keith Haring, Stéphane Ashpool, Mathieu Lehanneur and Léo Caillard. The exhibition also includes works by Philippe Baudelocque, Miquel Díaz Vizoso, and Michael Holman (K-tel) and footwork by Kanti.
I learned that “breaking” is the proper term for break dancing (a commercial term). Those who break are either B-Boys or B-Girls who live the hip-hop style. In competition at the Olympics 2024, the breakers heard the music for the first time. They improvised their moves as the opponent watched. The original and cultural name for anyone who practices the dance of breaking is a breaker.
Curator and Inspiration – Worth the Visit
Breaking artist, François Gautret, is the curator of the exhibition. “Riding the Olympic Wave” (2022-2023) at the Lausanne, Switzerland Olympic Museum was his inspiration for the exhibition. It features works and images from the Olympic Museum’s collections. SPOT24 – The Olympic Sport and Urban Cultures Exhibition will live on beyond December 31 thanks to cyberspace. Breaking first appeared at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and made it to the Paris Olympics. The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics has decided not to include the improvisational sport on its program.
SPOT 24 101 quai Jacques Chirac, Paris 15th arrondissement 75015 (use metro stop Bir-Hakeim)
Reception area, exhibition area and shop: daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last access at 5.45pm). Last admission to the exhibition at 5 p.m. Free Admission
Café: Sunday to Tuesday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. – 11 p.m., 101 quai Jacques Chirac, Paris 15e Métro : Bir-Hakeim – Passy – Dupleix RER C : Champs de Mars – Tour Eiffel
List where to find or play the different sports in and around Paris (use the translation in your browser):
- Skateparks in Paris region
- Skateparks in Paris
- EGP 18 for regular visitors, is a landmark site in France and Europe for skate fans
- BMX Freestyling in Paris
- BMX Club in Paris
- Where to find and do breaking in Paris
- 3×3 Basket (Basketball) Paris – find locations or a club
