Exhibition “Musclemen Legends” in the Art Nouveau Museum of Riga
The Art Nouveau period featured particular interest in the
unity of strength and beauty, the contrast of the strong and fragile and its
reflection in art and sport. This is the reason why the museum “Riga Art
Nouveau Centre” invites visitors to the exhibition “Musclemen Legends”, which
boasts a unique private collection – the medals of the beginning of the 20th
century and expressive photos of musclemen. The exhibition has been created to
mark the first golden medal in Greco-Roman wrestling won by the outstanding
Latvian wrestler Jānis Polis in the Pan-Russian Olympic Games in 1913. The
exhibition will be open until June 10.
The “Musclemen Legends” is the second exhibition created in
co-operation with the long-term friend of the museum Vladimirs Resetovs and
collector and athlete Aleksejs Kostirevs. The first time when Riga Art Nouveau
Centre introduced visitors to wrestling and heavy athletics in the Art Nouveau
age was in 2012 when the museum together with Vladimirs Rešetovs and Aleksejs
Kostirevs as well as the Sports Museum of Latvia organized the first exhibition
– the Age of Musclemen”. It provided insights into the development of wrestling
and heavy athletics at the beginning of 1900s and showed various sport devices
and photos featuring the Art Nouveau style.
This time the museum will present the photos from the
musclemen at the beginning of 1900s as well as competition advertisements,
programmes and unique medals and awards that have been won in innumerable
wrestling arenas. Latvian musclemen used to be popular participants in
tournaments and won competitions in different countries. On the verge of the
19th and 20th century sport clubs and associations were founded in the
territory of Latvia and the musclemen movement had a particular place in the society.
The sports had a particular role in the physical education of young people and
created a strong image of the man.
At the beginnings of 1900s in Riga and other places of
Latvia wrestling and heavy athletics societies and clubs were created and developed.
The wrestlers appeared in advertisements, postcards were published with the
portraits of the musclemen and moments from fights which were arranged at photo
studios. The strongest men in Latvia – Jānis Polis, Jānis Krauze, Jānis
Burgmeistars (participated in competitions under the name of Ivans Romanovs),
Jānis Leskinovičs and others – were recognized in public and respected, their
strength and athletic built featured in postcards and competition programmes.
Musclemen tournaments were very special events followed by dances and informal
parties. These fights, however, were not just a privilege of men, there were
also women whose photos will also be shown in the exhibition.
The museum “Riga Art Nouveau Centre” invites the visitors to
enjoy the interaction of strength and beauty in the exhibition “Musclemen
Legends” from April 13 – June 10. The museum is open from10.00 to 18.00 every
day, except Mondays.