Frisbee ! Sport and Leisure. Würth Collection

Les Loisirs by Cubist painter Fernand Léger (1881-1955), was created 80 years ago. It has been the inspiration for the Musée Würth in Erstein to get into the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, due to be held in Paris in Summer 2024. From 27 January to 15 September, the exhibition Frisbee! reflects the extent to which sports, games and leisure time have been part of consumer society since the 1950s. It also shows how they have provided fertile ground for artistic creativity, enchanting and challenging artists to represent the athlete’s body and capture movement.

Despite being marked by two World Wars, the 20th century witnessed a revolutionary transformation in Western lifestyles. From the end of the 19th century, sport truly became accessible to all. During the Belle Époque, Paris enjoyed huge technological advances, which were showcased at the 1900 Universal Exhibition, and triggered an unprecedented appetite for leisure and recreation. In 1936, the Popular Front brought in paid leave and legitimised holidays.

Time for recreation and relaxation became part of daily life, enjoyed by a consumer society at its peak during the Trente Glorieuses (1945 – 1975). Sport not only provided an outlet for all classes in a rapidly changing society, but also acted as a powerful stimulus for artistic creativity.

Today, amateur sport is one of the most popular leisure activities in our modern society and the thrills of top-level sport are also appreciated. This aligns with a new-found appreciation for taking a stroll, chilling out and having a lazy day.

The exhibition Frisbee! explores the diversity of sporting disciplines, their adoption by post-war consumer society, and the joys of all sorts of pastimes, from outdoor pursuits to board games – not forgetting the Olympics! Through a variety of aesthetics and perspectives, the exhibition highlights the extent to which many artists, from Andy Warhol to Alfred Hrdlicka, including Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, Max Ernst or Elisabeth Sabala, have been fascinated by the subject, whether it be boxing, bullfighting, dance or chess.