MaMA 

Between 17 August and 16 September 2013, Showroom MAMA forms the starting point for a summer sports program. The OONALYMPICS are a series of sports events that feature existing, forgotten and yet to be developed. The full program is available on www.oonalympics.com, where participants can also sign up.

During the opening event on Friday 16 August, the public will get a taste of what the OONALYMPICS has to offer, with a demonstration by the Dutch sumo wrestling team, thumb wrestling and a champions bar.

Program Friday 16 August:
18.00 – 20.00: Registering for thumb wrestling knockout tournament
19.30 – 20.00: Dutch Sume wrestling final
20.15 – 20.30: Wrestling tournament draw
20.30 – 22.00: Thumb wrestling knockout tournament
18.00 – 22.00: Champisons bar

OONALYMPICS is a collaboration between design office OONA and Showroom MAMA. OONALYMPICS is a project that brings together sports and design. For OONA, the social aspect of design is very important; an essential element of design is creating connections between a message and its receivers.

The OONALYMPIC games will take place in the Cool neighbourhood of Rotterdam, a very diverse neighbourhood with a relatively large amount of outdoor space. Parents bring their children to school and there is a large group of active residents who dedicate themselves to the neighbourhood in many different ways. There are churches, a skate park, neighbourhood associations, sport clubs, etc. Sports are a key part of the arrangement of the space. The Rotterdam arts community also comes together on this cultural axis. The neighbourhood representative is active in bringing together different groups of residents through sports and games.

For the OONALYMPICS, OONA has created a graphic identity which will transform the district into an OONALYMPIC park for the duration of the project. The participation of the neighbourhood is essential for the project to be a success. OONALYMPICS will strengthen this commitment.

During the Wereld van het Witte de Withkwartier festival from September 13-14-15, a festive grand finale will take place with participation of other cultural institutions on the Witte de Withstraat. After the OONALYMPICS a number of objects, such as the grandstand from the presentation at MAMA, will be donated to the local residents to further develop their ambitions.