With a kit of nothing more than watch parts and assorted sports items, designers, school children, celebrities and students alike have been making astounding sculptures which will be unveiled at the Swatch Kaleidoscope exhibition on Saturday 15 June in central Athens.

Supported by the Athens 2004 Organising Committee & Ministry for Culture, the exhibition is entirely open air, situated in the Dionissiou Areopagitou, one of ancient Athens' most historic streets.

The official opening ceremony will be attended by former Olympic athlete Carl Lewis, Swatch president Mr Hayek and Athens Olympic Committee President Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki. Swatch Kaleidoscope aims to help re-establish a cultural link with Athens as the birthplace of the Olympics.

The exhibition name has been chosen to reflect the multi-coloured dimensions of a kaleidoscope which gives birth to fluid, ever-changing abstract forms.

Alongside an exhibition of finished pieces, such as Spanish water polo player Manuel Estiarte's water polo ball head, Italian designer Mimmo Rotella's surfboard-collage, Shaquille O'Neal's sports shoes and Peter Fonda's baseball, several designers will be working live on new pieces on the street.

Creation by Missoni, Italian fashion designer
(Photo courtesy of Swatch)

Each artist was sent a kits comprising a variety of objects such as table tennis balls, surf boards and hockey kits, together with all the parts of a Swatch watch.

No special dispensation was made for varying artistic experience or fame, with school kids and students working to the same conditions as international greats.

The work of international celebrities and designers will appear alongside that of students from the Escuela de Artes Plásticas no. 4 of Madrid and the Istituto Europeo di Design of Milan and children from schools in Athens.

International celebrities who responded to the Kaleidoscope challenge include:

Creation by Peter Fonda, American cult actor
(Photo courtesy of Swatch)

Creation by Mimmo Rotella, Italian artist
(Photo courtesy of Swatch)

Creation by Vivienne Westwood, British fashion designer
(Photo courtesy of Swatch)