The international exhibition dedicated to the beauty of human body takes place in Pärnu for the eleventh time. As this summer will be crowned by the Olympic Games in Athens, we  decided to organize a  little art olympics in the summer capital of Estonia, Pärnu.

We asked three artists from the mother country of the Olympics, Greece, to participate. Their art work reflect the ideals that have lasted over ages. Nikos Navridis, Michalis Manoussakis ja Nikos Markou carry on the themes originating from Ancient Greece: The divine bond between the mind and body developed in harmony.

To make a choice from Estonian modern art was not difficult because the art work by Lembit Sarapuu, Jaan Toomik, Kaljo Põllu and the couple of sculptors Ilme-Riho Kuld corresponds the theme perfectly. A very pleasant surprise was the ceramic installation by a young artist, just graduated from Estonian Art Academy, Kauri Kallas who comes from Pärnu county.

As the special guetsts to the  Greek-Estonian Olympic bridge, we invited  the members of Czech artists' group Kamera Skura whose work drew our attention at the last Venezia Biennale. "Superstart" by three anonymous artists is a marvellous metaphore of how sport and media have become today's new divinity.

It is very pleasant to admit that simultaneously with our exhibition God Becomes Man in Pärnu there is another one in Athens entitled as GODS BECOMING MEN  curated by of which is a well-known art historian Edward Lucie-Smith. The exhibition which takes place at the Frissiras Museum in the centre of Athens, introduces eleven art work from our collection. The work of Malayan, Indian, Jamaican and Estonian artists reached Athens through Pärnu. So small has become the world in which we live today!

The last week of the exhibition in Pärnu coincides with the Olympic Games in Athens. We kindly ask the audience to vote for the favourite artist. So, at the time of the end of the Olympic Games we could award the winners of the Pärnu art olympics with gold and silver medals from Estonian Olympic Committee.

Of last summer's MAN&WOMAN  almost half of the exhibited art work remained in our collection, as wished the artists. We hope that this year there will also be a trace left. As a start, Michalis Manoussakis decided to give his figure of Ulysses to the collection of the Museum of New Art. Many thanks for this beautiful donation!

Pärnu art olympics became a reality thanks to many sponsors. Special thanks to those who helped the art work to be transported from Greece and Czech Republic - Superfast Ferries, Tallink, the Ministry of Culture of Estonia, OÜ Pärnu Stividorid. We also got support from the Town of Pärnu, Ministry of Culture of Estonia, The estonian CulturalEndowment and many others. We thank the Estonian Art Museum and the Tallinn Art Hall for art work deposited in Pärnu.