A new app called FitArt has just been launched and it’s exactly what we needed. Always too busy with art world activities that keep you from hitting the gym? Well, now you have no excuse! The new app presented by Roehrs & Boetsch provides art shows on your phone in the form of a fitness plan. Available for both iOS and Android, the app features workouts and exercises created by artists, helping you get your sweat while also staying creative!
The app has launched with a 7-minute workout and in-app show called Connected in Isolation, curated by Nina Roehrs and Damjanski, featuring work by artists including Molly Soda, Petra Cortright and Olia Lialina. “In the beginning of the pandemic I nerded out on fitness apps because I couldn’t go running anymore”, says Damjanski, “In conversations with Nina Roehrs from Roehrs & Boetsch we’ve come up with the idea to create artistic workouts, that are video performances and could also be used as exercises at the same time.” Thus, FitArt grants a wide audience to experience works of art even in times of social distancing and isolation, providing a new exhibition format for art in the digital age while also a consolation for those suffering from gym envy while physical playgrounds are closed.
The app encourages the user to follow or reenact the performances of the artists, while the exhibition format allows for a broader reflection on the often-blind delegation of the manipulation of our bodies to technical devices – above all the mobile phone – and optimal performance expectations even in times of crisis.
The inaugural exhibition comprises fourteen artists, whose practices can be described as digital. Digital devices, network technologies and protocols, namely the Internet, YouTube or Instagram, are both the object and subject of their research – digital spaces where and for which they create and where they meet their audience. However different in technique and approach, the works in show share interest and critical approach towards new technologies and platforms, exploring their artistic potential and impact on contemporary (digital) culture.
Damjanski says we should mix art and fitness to stay mentally fit. “I think it’s a different material and opens up new possibilities to express your thoughts”, he explains. Whether you’re a gym bunny or looking for a new way to experience art in 2020, this is the app for you!
You can download FitArt here: App Store (iOS) | Google Play (Android)
Text Lizzy Vartanian
