BEIJING (Reuters) - With all things Olympic in vogue these days, lovers of aesthetics and athletics alike are flocking to a sports art exhibition billed as Beijing's largest showcase of international and Chinese works in over 50 years.

"Colors and Olympism" has already drawn some 60,000 visitors to the National Art Museum since it opened on July 8, a month before the August Games kick off, and organizers expect even more exposure as half a million Olympic guests descend on the city.

"This ranks as the largest international art show since the establishment of the new China," said lead curator Tao Qin, referring to the founding of the People's Republic in 1949.

The show features more than 740 art works and involves 701 artists from 81 countries, Tao added.

The sculptures and paintings on display range from pop art to primitivism, but all have one theme in common -- sports. Works range from interpretations of the Olympic stadium to a realistic sculpture of a swimmer resting in a rubber ring to figures featuring former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.

"I'm really impressed by this exhibition. I feel the passion and enthusiasm of artists from around the world, their love for the Olympic Games," said school teacher Shu Chunlei who was visiting the exhibition with her child.

organizers of the exhibit hope the Olympic brand will not only appeal to foreigners but draw more young Chinese.

Beijing has organized several cultural events for the duration of the Games and authorities hope China's flourishing contemporary art scene will help show off a sophisticated and liberal city to the world. 

Chinese modern art has exploded in popularity in recent years, as government restrictions have loosened, resulting in an expanding generation of market savvy, young artists.

International buyers have paid record amounts at auction for Chinese contemporary works and art galleries are shooting up across Beijing to cash in on demand.

In the past, much of the art on display at "Colors and Olympism" would have been dismissed as bourgeois by China's Communist authorities, who believed that art should have an obvious function in serving the people and the state.

But some visitors said art, like sports, was good for the masses.

"No matter whether it's sport or art, they are both for the common good of the people. One is artistic, one is competitive, but they share a common spirit," said a company executive surnamed Jiang.

"Color and Olympism" runs until August 12.