Critical Review: 'Fighting for Our Heritage' Boxing Exhibition BMAG

Verified

Added on  2023/05/29

|5
|1360
|51
Essay
AI Summary
Document Page
Running Head: REVIEING AN ART EXHIBITION
1
Reviewing an Art Exhibition
Name of the Student
Name of the Instructor
Course Code
University
Date
tabler-icon-diamond-filled.svg

Secure Best Marks with AI Grader

Need help grading? Try our AI Grader for instant feedback on your assignments.
Document Page
REVIEWING AN ART EXHIBITION 2
There are various ways in which we can explore a community and the best way to do
so is through their artworks. The term artwork is huge and it includes a number of elements
within it. It is evident that visual arts do attract more of our attention and hence it helps us in
adding more value to life. In this paper I would be presenting my view about an artwork
present in the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. This museum is quite old and has a
huge collection of both national and international artworks. The entry to the art gallery is free
of cost and there are charges in case of special exhibitions (Long & Sandle, 2018). The
history of the existing society is displayed in the forms of paintings, sculptures and even
antiques belonging to the early periods.
There were a number of exhibitions that were being organized by the museum. One
that drew my attention was titled “Fighting for our Heritage”. Sports and art has a strong
connection. In the first appearance we might not consider a sport like boxing to be an art but
the techniques used are actually a part of the art. The exhibition on boxing has helped in
bringing forth one such art form that has been existent for all these years within the
Birmingham community. This exhibition helps in exploring the past history of Boxing and
displays Birmingham’s eminent boxers. The time period that has been covered in this
exhibition is of more than 100 years. Each of the things on display interacted with one
another to show how boxing as a sport developed within this community (Birmingham
Forum, 2017). This entire exhibition is actually a project that been undertaken by a group of
boxers. They are young and they belong to the Pat Benson Boxing Academy which is located
in Digbeth. The exhibition is the end result of their research and has been brought to light
through the interviews of people belonging to the local community and associated with the
sport. Things might have changed over the years but when we find an opportunity to review
all these things from the past it somehow teleports us to that time frame. This exhibition too
has had a similar effect on me.
Document Page
REVIEWING AN ART EXHIBITION 3
I have been to the exhibition and found that the things on display have been presented
in such a nice manner. It appeared to me that when we read about the history from a book it
attracts us less than when we visualize it. In this case too, when I could view the apparels,
boxing gloves and shoes associated with the sports, it made me more desirous to explore it
further. The history of boxing within the Birmingham community has been presented through
the clothing worn by the boxers, the medals that they have won and even the boxing belts are
up on display (Jones, 2016). The rich cultural heritage of this sport has been put forward
through this exhibition. The rare photos on the display helped me in creating a connection
with the sport and I could easily relate to the emotion that they expressed. Moreover, there
was one other thing that made me quite nostalgic and it was the interviews that have been
recorded.
We as individuals always share a strong bond with our community and when such
exhibitions are held, it helps us in creating a connection. The name of the exhibition itself
drew me more towards it as it was about a rich heritage that my community has. I was really
happy about the fact that I had visited the exhibition. The feeling of pride was strengthened
within me and even I felt of doing something to keep this alive. Boxing has been such an
important sport for my community and hence I feel that we should all come forward so as to
make this sport better (Day & Carpenter, 2015). I feel that boxers should be encouraged and
we can do so by organizing such similar exhibitions.
A community lives through its deeds and through its history. Boxing has a glorious
past within the Birmingham community and hence it is really necessary that we keep this
feeling alive (Champlin, 2015). We can all make small contributions both economically and
even through social support to keep this sport intact. The exhibition and the interviews
present in it has dawned this feeling within me. I too feel that when this young group of
boxers could come up with something so innovative, then we too can do something for them.
Document Page
REVIEWING AN ART EXHIBITION 4
This art form has added value to the lives of the people associated with this sport in the past.
So, I too feel that if we keep this glory alive then there are chances that it would give rise to
even better players in the future.
Every community has something that helps in identifying them. Similarly, the
Birmingham community can be associated with the sport of boxing (Burns, 2015). This sport
has developed around this community and at the same time, this community has developed
around this sport. This is a part of Birmingham’s rich cultural heritage and in order to keep
our heritage alive we need to work towards it. The aim would be to keep the zeal alive and it
is this exhibition which made me to think in this fashion. I believe that if I had not been to
this exhibition then in no way would I have been able to understand association of this sport
with my community (Tonkin, 2015). Boxing might have been an important sport within the
community but the photos make it more relatable. In addition to this, the interviews bring to
light the fact that the people associated with this heritage were from within us. Now if I have
to do something for this art form then I would try to bring these details before other people of
my community. This would help them in joining this sport and being a part of it. Hence they
too would be able to add value to it.
tabler-icon-diamond-filled.svg

Secure Best Marks with AI Grader

Need help grading? Try our AI Grader for instant feedback on your assignments.
Document Page
REVIEWING AN ART EXHIBITION 5
References
Birmingham Forum, (2017). History of Boxing in Birmingham. Retrieved from:
http://www.birminghamforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=14381.0
Burns, S. (2015). ArtWorks: Partnership, collaboration and communities of practice (Vol.
10). Working paper.
Champlin, D. (2015). Birmingham could be 'as big of a boxing site as anywhere else,' says
Don King. Retrieved from:
https://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/06/what_could_deontay_wilders_tit.html
Day, D., & Carpenter, T. (2015). A history of sports coaching in Britain: Overcoming
amateurism. Routledge.
Fighting for Our Heritage. Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. Retrieved from:
http://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/bmag/whats-on/fighting-for-our-heritage
Jones, P. M. (2016). Matthew Boulton, Birmingham and the Enlightenment. In Matthew
Boulton (pp. 37-50). Routledge.
Long, J., & Sandle, D. (2018). Investigating the interrelationships between sport and the arts.
Tonkin, S. (2015). The plucky Birmingham bare-knuckle boxer who took on the World
Champion - in a 'David v Goliath' bout that lasted more than THREE HOURS and
landed him in jail. Retrieved from: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-
3165296/Boxing-belt-given-19th-century-bare-knuckle-fighter-survived-epic-three-
hour-David-v-Goliath-bout-goes-sale-20-000.html
chevron_up_icon
1 out of 5
circle_padding
hide_on_mobile
zoom_out_icon
logo.png

Your All-in-One AI-Powered Toolkit for Academic Success.

Available 24*7 on WhatsApp / Email

[object Object]