The Art Gymnasium: Making a Physical Connection Through Art and Fitness

The idiosyncrasies of human life are amazing. Remember the old “nature vs. nurture” debate? Spoiler alert: it’s both! We have and always will be creatures of our environment. Throughout human nature our relationship to our surroundings has been in flux. Our genes do what they do because of the environment, not independently of it. This is true for both our physical and cognitive composition. We have an expansive ability to keep learning and growing. Our minds and bodies can be continually strengthened and conditioned to take on a wide range of tasks, skills and information in tandem with our cultural experiences.

My training in visual art, education and physical fitness sparks acquisitions of knowledge that extend beyond each specific discipline. As someone who started as an art historian and later assumed the identity of an educator and fitness buff, I’ve experienced a notable shift in my interests and understanding about art and what it means to be an artist.

As a result of engaging in the aforementioned subjects, I’ve become enthralled by forms of art that involve an interaction between the artist and viewer. The idea of making art in tandem with the viewer, rather than for the viewer, is a distinct way to express a spectrum of thoughts, identities and experiences. It takes art off of its conventional pedestal and makes it a tangible and experiential object that connects a diverse array of people from the collective culture. It’s an art form that churns the mind, moves the body and empowers the soul.

The pedagogical underpinnings of participatory-based art are evident. The artist takes on the role of a facilitator, in order to elicit responses from their collaborators (the viewers). They do this through methods like posing open-ended questions, or setting up situations in situ that probe specific cultural concerns and phenomena. This process is similar to how an educator puts forward inquiry-based questions for their students; and sets up activities that motivate classroom participation, teamwork and critical thinking.

Embodied learning is a concept under the umbrella of participatory pedagogy. The methodology of embodied learning centers around physical sensations, where instead of solely thinking about solutions, we are realizing potential outcomes through an active engagement with the material. This is often a very dynamic process (i.e. experiential learning or active learning), since we use our bodies in tandem with our minds.

Embodied learning bolsters the transfer of traditional knowledge with engaging activities that enable those partaking in the experience to interact with subjects in a myriad of highly personalized ways. This can be a liberating and democratic endeavor. In his book Pedagogy of the City (1993), activist and educational reformer Paulo Freire writes: “The importance of the body is indisputable; the body moves, acts, rememorizes the struggle for its liberation; the body, in sum, desires, points out, announces, protests, curves itself, rises, designs and remakes the world… I think it’s absurd to separate the rigorous acts of knowing the world from the body.”

The workflow of an artist typically includes spending ample hours inside of a studio/workshop to plan and produce works of art. Conceptual artist Helga Wretman forgoes this traditional practice by visiting her colleagues in their own studios or homes in order to make art…and also to workout with them.

Wretman has a background in physical fitness. In addition to her artistic career, she’s worked as a stuntwoman in the film and television industry. She also trained as a dancer at The Royal Swedish Ballet School in Stockholm, Sweden. Movement and physical endurance is an important element in her performance art pieces.

In 2013, Wretman developed a series of monthly episodes called Fitness for Artists TV, which aired on ARTE Creative. She got together with fellow artists and supplemented the typical artistic discourse and peer review of a studio visit with a sweaty session of strength, cardio and mobility training.

Wretman also holds “Fitness for Artists” classes. She explains that her intent with these classes is “to fill the bodies and brains of these artists with endorphins to improve their creativity and self consciousness.”

She starts the class with a guided warm up of the joints and major muscle groups, starting from the head down to the toes. Then they progress to a cardio session of aerobic movements to increase the heart rate. Next are strength-based bodyweight exercises, including yoga and calisthenics. At the end of the class, they cool down with a stretching session.

Both fitness and art making are beneficial to our well-being. Adding socialization to these practices makes them more lucrative because of the camaraderie. Sharing experiences with a community of like-minded individuals has helped motivate me, and has inspired me to take on new physical and intellectual challenges.

I’ve been living a more remote, or rather socially distanced life since 2020, so the Substack community of art, fitness and health writers has been a particularly potent source of companionship. Outside of the online realm, I have a friend who is both an accomplished artist and fitness maven, and we’re discussing the possibility of a collaborative training session.

A goal I have for the near future is to establish a fitness club. My concept is loosely based around the ancient gymnasiums in Greece and Rome, which were used for exercise, as well as scholarly and philosophical pursuits. The Gymnasium for Aesthetic and Cerebral Pursuits (working title) will be a place for all sorts of physical and intellectual exercises. It’ll be a material setting, nomadic and also virtual. I don’t believe that establishing a permanent space is suitable in these circumstances, because I intend to be inclusive and accessible to anyone who wishes to partake in the club (we’ll have to figure out the time zone issues, but it’s going to be a worldwide thing). The main point is for people to comfortably congregate (always outdoors if in person) and share skills and uplifting conversations.

So stay tuned as I figure it all out! My ears are open for suggestions and ideas!

I’d like to conclude this post about social connection, the arts and physical fitness, by thanking y’all for your engagement with my work; and for sharing your own experiences with me and others on this platform. Your camaraderie fuels me to run that extra mile, and complete that extra rep!

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