The Gallery of Contemporary Art «Ў», «pARTisan» media-project
with the support of 34mag.net multimedia magazine

May 1-27, 2014
art project «OFFSIDE»

Nowadays sport forms a significant part of our everyday life irrespective of our own desires. It is both a specific body practice and one of the components of contemporary visual culture. Being at first sight an ideologically neutral notion, it is nevertheless incorporated into political, economic, gender and cultural relations between practices, institutes and society.

Analyzing this phenomenon in the Western European context, Allen Guttmann, a sports historian, notes that sport is subject to total commercialization and calls it «a form of the game distorted by capitalism». Researchers note, first of all, an ideological function of sport in (post)authoritarian systems. Sport is considered as philosophy, a certain way of communication, a space of collective experiences or a form of socialization.

Poster by Jura Shust

Sport also transforms into a particular area for reflection for artists who, consciously or not, are turning to its topics, attributes, language, or criticism. Moreover, in the current artistic field similar structural changes occur alongside with the changes concerning contemporary sport. Art practices are centered around mega-events (biennalization), their commercialization takes place as well as rational formalization (the formation of rigid rules).

Which place does sport take in the cultural space of Belarus — in its artistic, ideological and urban dimensions? How does sport «mega-events» transform the city’s economy, its infrastructure and the daily practices of its citizens? Is sport a form of exploitation and discipline of the body? Can energy of collective experience be used beyond ideological goals?

In the exhibition «OFFSIDE» and in the course of the discussion that takes place within the project the artists deal with different aspects of sport. Siarhei Hudzilin, Anton Sarokin and Alaksiej Navumčyk turn to the topic of restructuring of urban space during major sport events. Using various forms of sports practices, art-group «Bouillon» (Georgia) criticizes modern religious institutions and EU bureaucracy, whereas Jura Shust dwells on the ambivalence of power mechanisms. Michaił Hulin ironically plays with the commercialization of sport. For Antanina Słabodčykava, Alaksiej Łunioŭ (Alexey Lunev), Paulina Vituščanka and Valancina Kisialova sport language and sport attributes become a method of referring to their own body and emotional experience. Through the metaphor of sport as a holiday Maxim Tyminko problematizes the relationship between collective and individual experience.

Within the project a series of events are held: lectures delivered by Ben Cope and Miadrag Kuch on the capitalization of sports, Alaksiej Bratačkin speaks on nationalism and sport and Taciana Ščurko — on gender aspects of sports; the film «The Strict Boy» (directed by M. Room) is shown, followed by the discussion with Alena Tołscik. Michaił Hulin acts as a commentator of UEFA Champions League Final. The discussion on the topic of changes in the urban environment as a result of sports «mega-events» is also held with Volha Šparaha as a moderator.

Artists: Paulina Vituščanka, Siarhei Hudzilin, Michaił Hulin, Valancina Kisialova, Alaksiej Łunioŭ , Alaksiej Navumčyk, Anton Sarokin, Antanina Słabodčykava, Maxim Tyminko, Jura Shust and art-group «Bouillon» (Georgia)

The curators’ group: Таnia Arcimovič, Alaksiej Barysionak, Valancina Kisialova, Inha Lindarenka.