Jiří Sozanský, one of the few contemporary Czech artists consistently dedicated to socially engaged art, has sport deeply ingrained in him. He looks like a boxer—and not just in appearance. He is a boxer, although he never competed at the highest level, choosing instead to pursue an artistic path. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in 1973, yet boxing remains his lifelong passion.
Boxing is in his blood. It taught him to take hits and deliver them—both equally vital skills. He embraced the principles of fair play and respect for his opponent. Through boxing, he learned that a loss, accompanied by its lessons, can drive personal growth far more than an easy victory. Jiří Sozanský was the first among Czech artists to fully commit to boxing, long before it became a fashionable trend. For him, training is a source of resilience, camaraderie, and inspiration.
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The toughest opponent is the artist himself. And also the most dangerous.
As an artist, Jiří Sozanský is captivated by the human condition, the fate of individuals in totalitarian systems, and the battle against pretense. He paints, sculpts, and creates installations. In 1984, inspired by Orwell’s novel 1984, he staged a boxing performance in Prague’s abandoned and fire-damaged Veletržní Palace. This performance became a pivotal contribution to the genre of action art. His opponent? A figure crafted from sawdust, plaster, and paint, hung from the ceiling, which he struck relentlessly until it was destroyed. The event, titled Massacre, was photographed by Jiří Putta, who had previously documented Sozanský’s actions in Terezín and Most. The performance is a visceral spectacle of determination and despair, a refusal to accept the bleak timelessness that entrapped him. Even today, it stands apart from anything else in Czech performance art, reaching the core of existential experience.
What’s Essential!
Jiří Sozanský’s passion for boxing inspired other painters and sculptors to join him. They gathered at the Pragovka gym on Žitná Street in Prague, forming such a strong bond that in 1988, they established the Box Art group. Officially registered with the Czechoslovak Union of Artists, their aim was not only to train but also to exhibit their work—a far greater challenge under the totalitarian regime, especially as many members (including Vojtěch Adamec Sr., Vojtěch Adamec Jr., Michal Blažek, Josef Hampl, Jaroslav Hladký, Lubomír Janečka, Ivan Komárek, Karel Nepraš, Jiří Sopko, and Josef Žáček) were firmly on the “other side.” They had no interest in befriending the regime. The group disbanded in 2006, but many members continued boxing, now at the Palaestra club.
In 2011, Jiří Sozanský organized a celebratory meeting in Prague with Mike Tyson, during which the legendary champion was presented with paintings by Czech admirers. One piece was created by Rostislav Osička, known for his artistic and literary talent and his uniquely surrealist-brutalist style. I’ll never forget that Rosťa christened my book Sport is Art in Luxor in 2015. Attendees of this “seance” were surprised by how small Mike Tyson seemed in person. Is this really the same man who infamously bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear in the 2007 Las Vegas heavyweight title match? The world isn’t black and white; perspective depends on whether you’re watching from the front row, the last row, your couch at home, or inside the twelve-roped ring itself.
Jiří Sozanský’s long-term creative commitment is comparable to the performance of elite athletes who no longer compete against others but against themselves. He prefers to talk about boxing rather than art but occasionally agrees to compare the two disciplines when asked. "It’s not enough to show scars. You have to take on new risks. In this sense, artistic creation and the struggle for one’s identity are like a fight in the ring—with one key difference: the toughest opponent is the artist himself. And also the most dangerous. I see the creative process as an endless match, a hard-fought battle where nothing is forgiven, and every failure comes at a cost. Temporary victories may be illusions, and the true score remains unknown to the artist throughout their life."
So true! If boxing-themed art fascinates you as much as it does me, I highly recommend the sixth issue of Sport in Art, the world’s only magazine of its kind, with a substantial section dedicated to reflections on boxing.
For more insights from Petr Volf about the intersection of art and sport, click HERE.
