Munich1972
The 1972 Olympic Games offered the host country, West Germany, an unrivalled opportunity to portray itself to the world as a modern, democratic and culturally aware nation. Various design disciplines played a central role in the preparations for the games. Architecture, design and landscape architecture were integrated in a total design intended to exude openness and inclusivity. This carefully constructed image was marred two weeks into the games when eight members of the Black September Organisation infiltrated the Olympic Village and took the Israeli team hostage. The exhibition Munich 1972. The Design of a Democratic Body tells this controversial story through the lens of design, by contrasting the narratives and aesthetic strategies of the organisers with the tactics deployed for their disruption. The exhibition at Het Nieuwe Instituut also examines the role of the media in spreading these stories.
Het Nieuwe Instituut has teamed up with the Dutch Olympic Committee - Dutch Sports Federation (NOC*NSF), which is responsible for selecting the Dutch Olympic and Paralympic teams. In the more than hundred years of the modern games, the Dutch Olympic Committee has assembled a collection of medals, clothing, photographs and graphic ephemera, a selection of which is shown here. Some of these relate to the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.