School of Art History Online Lecture Series: Athletics & Aesthetics -- Sport in Art History Cycling in Modern and Contemporary Art
This new School of Art History Online Lecture Series is an exploration of the history of golf in Scotland told through the collections of The R&A World Golf Museum and The Royal & Ancient Golf Club. Explore the dynamic intersection of art and sport in this six-week series, where art history meets athleticism. From golf to rugby, cycling to the Olympics, discover how artists have captured the energy, grace and cultural impact of sport across centuries.
Each week features an expert-led lecture followed by a live audience Q&A, offering a unique opportunity to dive deeper into the stories behind the artworks. Brought to you by the University's School of Art History in collaboration with The R&A World Golf Museum, this thought-provoking series offers fresh perspectives for art lovers, sports fans and curious minds alike.
Cycling in Modern and Contemporary Art traces the vibrant intersections of cycling and artistic innovation across the 20th and 21st centuries. From Henri Toulouse-Lautrec's iconic posters capturing the excitement of early bicycle culture, to Boccioni's Futurist evocations of speed, Picasso's playful constructions and Duchamp's groundbreaking Bicycle Wheel, the bicycle emerges as a powerful symbol of modernity and motion.
Contemporary artists including Ai Weiwei and Gabriel Orozco reframe its significance, transforming the bicycle into a vehicle for social and political commentary. Spanning painting, sculpture, graphic arts and installation, this lecture explores how cycling becomes more than merely transport and sport to embody freedom, endurance and progress in visual culture.
Dr Natalia Sassu Suarez Ferri is a Lecturer (education focused) and current Director of Teaching in the School of Art History. Her academic research focuses on Latin American modern and contemporary art, transnational links between Latin America and Europe, colour theory, and the emergence of abstraction. Recent publications include articles for Tate Papers and Third Text.
She recently co-edited the volume Transmission and Gender: Women Artists as Teachers in the XXth Century for the German Center for Art History in Paris (DFK) and the University of Heidelberg.
The other events in the series are:
- Painted Links: an exploration of the history of golf in Scotland told through the collections of The R&A World Golf Museum and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews
- State propaganda through art and sport in fascist Italy
- From Ancient Greece to modern spectacle: the visual culture of the Olympic Games
- Oval balls and cubist players
- Women in sport in art
Each week in the series there will be a lecture from 2pm to 3pm, followed by a half hour question and answer session. The series costs £120 with a special rate for R&A members, R&A staff, and University of St Andrews staff and students of £90. Please book your tickets online through the University Shop.
Image credit: St Andrews (Railway poster), Reginald Higgins, circa 1925. Reproduced by kind permission of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.