To stående, mandlige akrobater. 1906 - 1909

Curator: This expressive pencil drawing, entitled "To stående, mandlige akrobater" was created by Othon Friesz between 1906 and 1909. It is currently held at the SMK, Statens Museum for Kunst. What strikes you most when you look at this, Editor? Editor: It has an unfinished feel that makes it very raw and immediate. The figures have a monumental quality even within these quick strokes, there’s such power conveyed with so few lines. They're like wrestlers testing their strength before an audience. Curator: Considering the socio-political environment of the early 20th century and the Expressionist movement's focus on the psychological and emotional state of humanity, Friesz's choice to depict figures in such dynamic, almost aggressive poses feels significant. The rise of industrialization, growing social tensions... they might be responding to all of that. Editor: Absolutely. There's something ancient about these figures as well. The pose of the central figure – arms raised as if lifting – immediately brings to mind the classical motif of Atlas, bearing the world. Except here, they’re not exactly serene, but straining. It represents burden, stress, and possibly the tension inherent in societal performance. Curator: Good point. Thinkers of the time questioned traditional social hierarchies. Gymnastics and the circus offered new modes of self-expression, particularly within urban, public culture, as such physical theatre also explores social change and potentially even subversion. Editor: There’s such a deliberate, exaggerated physicality to their bodies as well, like stylized depictions of human strength that carry symbolic heft – the weight of expectations, the pressure to conform. Curator: Yes, you feel how the cultural fascination with the body—often a hyper-masculine ideal of the era—also came with expectations to achieve such perfection under increasingly harsh modern conditions. Friesz captured this well. Editor: For me it feels as though the artist successfully portrayed the human psyche as impacted by cultural symbolism related to gender expectations. I leave this encounter with some thoughts to ponder around the relationship between historical memory and modern realities. Curator: It makes me think again of how quickly society shifted in those years, and how sport and art provided new forms of response for individuals to challenge norms and make powerful gestures of redefinition.