Match, design and sport: a behind-the-scenes look at sport at the Musée du Luxembourg

Victory sometimes comes down to a few things... Like a well-designed shoe. The Musée du Luxembourg looks at the links between sport and design, with the exhibition "Match", on view from March 13 to August 11, 2024.

To win medals, to be the fastest, the most precise, the strongest, you need a lot of training, discipline... But also state-of-the-art equipment. It's hard to become a 100m hurdles champion running in flip-flops, and impossible to triumph on a Formula 1 circuit at the wheel of a 2CV. To help athletes overcome their limits, designers have worked hard, and continue to improve the world of sport.

It is these links between sport and design that the Musée du Luxembourg wishes to highlight. The institution explores this intimate and often overlooked relationship, through an original exhibition organized from March 13 to August 11, 2024. Don't miss Match. Design and sport - a history looking to the future.

From big bi bikes to mountain bikes, from ancient soccer boots to modern cleats, from training machines to sports equipment: design has played a significant role in the evolution ofthe history of sport. Whatever the discipline, whatever the accessory, many designers have turned their attention to this very special sector.

The Musée du Luxembourg exhibition first looks back at these innovations of the past, highlighting both the athletes and the great inventors who improved equipment. It then explores the inventions and transformations implemented today. We discover, of course, a wide range of clothing, vehicles and equipment such as rackets, balls, protective elements... But also various objects essential to the practice of sport. Cameras and refereeing systems, stadiums, training and health monitoring machines: every movement of the athlete is seen, studied and analyzed thanks to new technologies .

And what about tomorrow? Sport and technology will continue to evolve and improve, to provide the best conditions for athletes to succeed... And the best show for fans. However, challenges await creators and athletes alike: questions of the environment, sustainability, safety and the well-being of individuals are more pressing than ever.

With this exhibition, the Musée du Luxembourg surprises and innovates. Resolutely modern, it is likely to confuse museum regulars at first glance. Indeed, art is not at the heart of the exhibition: here, we discover, admire and analyze sports equipment, technological objects and real-life elements to understand theevolution of sport and its practices. From ancient discus throwing to record-breaking motorcycle racing, there are many steps... We retrace these steps in this tour.

To understand the exhibition and its significance, you need to read the labels and information panels in each room.

Disabled athletes are not forgotten: their equipment supports the idea that design, technical and technological innovations have transformed the practice of sport: bodies are no longer enough to perform. Every athlete, whatever their physical condition, benefits from this advanced equipment as an extension of their own body.

The original format of this exhibition is as disturbing as it is interesting. Lovers of sport should greatly appreciate this unique journey, packed with information on sport, its practice around the world, and through the ages.

What will the sport of the future look like? To get an idea, head to the Musée du Luxembourg and take in the Match exhibition.