WEST PLM BEACH.- Organized to coincide with the opening of the Beijing Summer Olympic, Let the Games Begin: The Art of Competition and Just Plain Fun features works of art associated with games ranging from fierce competition to simple pleasure. A broad spectrum of works from a variety of cultures and artistic media were selected to celebrate the history of games. Included are Chinese, American, European, contemporary, and photographic art from the Norton collection with a handful of loans from other museums and private collections. The exhibition is divided into four sections: the Olympics, Ball Games, Games of Skill and Chance, and Just Plain Fun, representing the cultures of China, the United States, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, Germany, France, Italy, Russia, and Japan.

One of the centerpieces of this exhibition is Giorgio de Chirico’s The Sailors’ Barracks. This painting shows a disquieting scene of games interrupted. Balls, a baton, and a folded card mysteriously lie at rest. A looming sense of the unknown is compounded by the abrupt shift from the tipped plane in the foreground to the distant view of an architectural arcade receding into space. Despite the clarity of each object in de Chirico's painting, the seemingly unstable planes as well as the disorienting spaces enhance the sense of foreboding. Painted at the outbreak of World War I, The Sailors' Barracks evoked world events that filled the artist with anxiety and dread. In this work, ball games are used to represent an idyllic time of peace shattered. The use of games as a metaphor for tranquility dates back as far as Homer’s Iliad, and illustrates the importance of games throughout time and cultures.

The Norton Museum of Art is open Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. (Closed Mondays from May through October and on major holidays.) General admission is $8 for adults, $3 for visitors ages 13-21, and free for Members and children under 13. West Palm Beach residents receive free admission to the permanent collection every Saturday, with proof of residency. Palm Beach County residents receive free admission to the permanent collection the first Saturday of each month, with proof of residency. An additional charge may apply for special exhibitions. For additional information, please call (561) 832-5196 or visit www.norton.org.