By focusing on the cases of the Athens 2004 Olympic ceremonies, this article interrogates insular representations of the nation that are commonly nurtured by Olympic narratives. In particular, the article discusses the ways in which the Athens 2004 ceremonies articulated aspects of history, topography, and constituency in relation with Greece's present as well as with its past. By also locating instances that contest the perception of national identity as an overarching, unique, and pure entity, the article argues that the Olympics might be seen not as opportunities to elevate a nation's prestige, as it is hoped by many, but rather for making visible alternative identities and renewed national narratives that stretch the conceptual boundaries of the nation and its relation with Others.

This essay examines the Olympic Games as a media-space which comprises both physical and mediated spatial attributes. Focusing on the Beijing National Stadium it addresses the new post-geographical spatial experiences that are produced by the layering of physicality and digitization. Drawing methodologies from the fields of ethnography, media studies and design studies, we aim to develop an interdisciplinary approach which critically explores the multiple and intertwined dimensions of these hybrid spatial articulations. This takes into account the new transnational public realms that have been opened by diverse forms of social media, and the proliferation of actors in the dissemination and shaping of the Olympic event and its architectures.

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