Sokol Loyal Guard

September 25 – December 31, 2022

September 25 - December 31, 2022

Anderson Gallery

The photographs by Roman Franc in Sokol Loyal Guard show the oldest living members of the Sokol movement from the so-called Loyal Guard of Sokol Brno I and Sokol New York. Many of them have experienced war, exile, difficult conditions in foreign countries, and an undying longing for home.

In the photographs, the aged bodies of former gymnasts assume long-learned poses, in which they suddenly freeze as if they were to stay that way forever. The sports equipment no longer encourages them to be more active, but rather provides them with a shelter, a place to rest or play.

The portraits of old Sokol members capture the energy accumulated over the years, which may no longer reside in the body, but becomes a matter of the spirit. The images evoke emotion, and at the same time, put us numbed by the “easy” times, on guard.

Roman Franc (b. 1983) lives and works in the Czech Republic. Franc studied photography at the Institute of Art Photography of Silesian University in Opava. He splits his time between teaching photography, editorial projects and his fine art career. Franc’s work is exhibited and collected Internationally.

Sponsored by BetterLife

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Fill out this field

Fill out this field
Please enter a valid email address.
You need to agree with the terms to proceed

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.