Marcelo Amorim, ‘Untitled in Orange B’, 2022 – silkscreen on paper - 100 x 100 cm – edition of 10 + 04 P.A.s

Marcelo Amorim investigates both the history of the perfectly chiselled and muscular man as a symbol of masculinity, strength, and power, and the world’s ​most popular combat sport: boxing.​ 

The Ancient Greeks were the creators of the gymnasium, a dedicated place where only men could exercise and train. Gymnasium, or as we know it, the gym, comes from the Ancient Greek word ‘gymos’, which means ‘naked’: previously how athletes would train and compete in these open-air venues. This was not only for aesthetic reasons, to show off the athletic male form, but it is also thought to have been a tribute to the Gods. Note that women were not permitted to train, a stance that would be upheld by many civilisations to come.​ 

The emergence of what is thought to be the world’s first private gymnastics club ‘The Progenitor’ happened in 1799. As we approached the 20th century, the evolution of gyms began to gather pace, thanks initially in part to British businessman and philanthropist Sir George Williams. ​In 1844, Williams founded the Young Men’s Christian Association, now commonly known as the YMCA. In his work, Amorim explores how this movement, which resulted from the ideology of the British Victorian era, advocated that Christianity had become far too feminine, and that physical strength, moral integrity and sport were there to be integrated in the definition of young Christian males. Moreover, the YMCA is one the historical references of Amorim’s quest for the definition of the ideal male body type.  

Similarly to the gym, the history of boxing dates as far back as human history. Its earliest documentation goes as far back as 3000 BC in Egypt. But does boxing stand for being a ‘real man’? Talking masculinity and identity, Amorim’s art analyses this highly competitive, violent and at times deadly practice. His art allows us to question the validity of boxing as a way to inform and determine male identity in a contemporary world where the need for equality, tolerance, mutual respect and peace represent a global emergency.