( CNN ) -- The 2012 Olympic Games in London will see world-class competitors display their skills across 39 disciplines , with the British capital also taking the opportunity to showcase itself as a vibrant , modern , cultural center . A series of 12 Olympic and Paralympic posters were commissioned to promote the Games and show how art is firmly entrenched in London 's plans for `` the greatest show on Earth . '' Acclaimed British artist Tracey Emin was tasked with composing one of the posters ; the 48-year-old is championing the involvement of art in the hosting of the Games . `` Culture runs alongside the Olympics , '' Emin told CNN . `` London , and Britain , has a lot more to offer than just sport . '' Emin hoped her Paralympic poster , which bears the words `` You inspire me with your determination and I love you '' and pictures two birds , would be a complete contrast to the marketing material for previous Games . `` I want people to smile and feel kind of warm and feel that they 're part of something and not excluded , '' she explained . `` The previous posters were a little bit on the macho fascist side . I wanted to do something which was the complete antithesis . '' Art historian and exhibitions curator at London 's Victoria and Albert Gallery , Ghislaine Wood concurs with Emin 's views , explaining how Olympic posters provide an insight into the political mood of years gone by . `` Olympic posters provide a fantastic snapshot , '' said Wood . `` They really do provide a real insight into how posters communicate ideas at different points . Wood highlights the Munich Games of 1972 as an example of how Germany attempted to use the posters to change the way it was perceived globally following World War Two . `` There was a very conscious effort to change the look and feel of that Olympics . Fascist connotations of Berlin 1936 have been utterly changed to brand it as a modern , democratic event . '' According to Wood , London 's push to display itself as a forward-thinking city is not confined to its poster . The logo , the brainchild of designers Wolff Olins , and the spectacular Aquatics Centre also show how the city is attempting to stamp its identity on the Games . `` The Wolff Olins logo was a very powerful element in the whole branding of the London Olympics . If you look at ( architect ) Zaha Hadid 's Aquatics Centre , a fantastic piece of modern , contemporary design , and the tower . '' The tower Wood refers to is a 115-meter high steel sculpture designed by Britain 's Anish Kapoor known as the Orbit , which has been erected at the Olympic Park . Kathryn Findlay works for Ushida Findlay Architects , a firm that was involved in the construction of the Orbit . She says the red twisting structure will provide a visual thrill for viewers both near and far . `` From afar , people in different parts of London will get glimpses of it , '' said Findlay . `` As you go there on the train you 'll see this object appearing . As you go closer to it , the scale of the sculpture , and the color , are quite surprising . `` There are these mirrors on either side , which invert people and they 'll see themselves reflected in the sculpture . `` It is eclectic , unexpected , it 's inventive . Whether you like it or you hate it , you will always see it , like Big Ben or the London Eye , as one of these eccentric British creations . ''
The 12 Olympic and Paralympic posters which will be used in 2012 have been unveiled . They are the first ever to feature all of Britain's Olympians - including Sir Chris Hoy, who won gold at London 2012. Olympic posters can provide a snapshot of the political environment of the time . Anish Kapoor 's Orbit is a 115-meter high steel sculpture .