Nicolai Howalt – Boxer

www.nicolaihowalt.com and represented by Martin Asbæk Gallery

“Throughout the years of 2000-03 the artist Nicolai Howalt followed young Danish boys boxing in Denmark and abroad. The result is the book ‘Boxer‘. The book portrays a series of young boxers where Howalt’s starting point is to capture the moment before and after the match. A sense of spirit, emotion, expectation and energy characterize the photographs. The double portraits convey the dreams of boyhood, puberty and identity. The boxing match stages a platform for Howalt who otherwise refrains from describing the inner concerns of boxing or the competitive elements of the sport. Boxing becomes a symbol for the match between fear versus courage, dream versus reality. It is also about the age dividing a boy from being a man and to be on your own for the first time. As a teenager Howalt used to box, and as a consequence he has realized that the moments just before and after the match were the most tantalizing.”

More images on the artist’s website.

Future shows:
Sammen Stød, solo by Nicolai Howalt at Esbjerg Art Museum, February 11th – May 1th 2011
Scandinavian Forest, MELK groupshow at Akerhus ArtCenter, Lillestrøm Norge. February 19 – April 20, 2011.