Strike Fast, Dance Lightly: Artists on Boxing

Strike Fast, Dance Lightly: Artists on Boxing presents a critical look at the sport of boxing through a variety of artistic media. Featuring over 100 artworks spanning from the late 19th century to present day, this dynamic presentation is the largest comprehensive survey of artwork depicting the global sport and its cultural impact. Strike Fast, Dance Lightly illuminates the connections between boxing and artists, and underscores the rich history of a centuries-old sport and its influence on artistic movements.

The exhibition showcases artworks that directly reference the sport and its legends while presenting artworks that explore nuanced and intimate moments surrounding the fight. The title is culled from a poem by Gabriele Tinti — a rhythmed oration from the imagined perspective of the ancient Greek sculpture, Seated Boxer, as the bronze fighter moves through the play-by-play of a boxing match. Strike Fast, Dance Lightly unpacks the rich intersections of art and boxing — locating the work in explorations of spectacle, the body, psychology, storytelling, and politics. The aesthetics of boxing stand in for gestures of power, activism, emotional experience, and the human desire to continue to fight for justice.