Art and Sport at the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics: A Conversation with Živa Škodlar

Preface

Both art and sport have been my main interests throughout life, so tailoring painting workshops to promote wellbeing and exploring how The Paint Lab workshops could be used as a tool to support athletes’ wellbeing, is something I wanted to explore more deeply.

Through initial research, I discovered several articles highlighting the potential connections between art and sport. Interestingly, these articles also noted how art and sport are often depicted as opposites in schools or films. The “jocks” and the “arty students” are usually shown sitting at opposite tables, reinforcing the stereotype that these disciplines don’t overlap. But is this really the case?

Scientifically, both athletes and artists engage similar cognitive processes, often associated with the right hemisphere of the brain. This area is involved in creativity, spatial reasoning and visual-motor coordination skills essential both for painting and for sports performance.

One connection is the concept of flow state, a mental state of complete immersion and focus. Athletes often describe this during peak performance, such as a runner hitting their rhythm or a swimmer gliding through the water. Similarly, artists experience flow when painting, drawing, or sculpting, fully absorbed in their creative process. Both activities can induce a sense of time distortion, increased focus and deep satisfaction.

Research also suggests that activities like painting and other forms of creative expression can improve mental wellbeing by:

• Reducing stress: Engaging in creative arts lowers cortisol levels, similar to the stress reduction seen in aerobic exercise.

• Improving emotional regulation: Both art and sport allow individuals to process and express emotions, leading to better mood and resilience.

• Boosting mindfulness: The immersive nature of both painting and sports promotes mindfulness, which is linked to lower anxiety and improved concentration.

• Enhancing neuroplasticity: Both activities stimulate the brain in ways that promote cognitive flexibility, problem-solving, and memory.

  
  

Given these overlaps, there’s a strong case for integrating art-based wellbeing breaks into athletes’ training schedules. Painting workshops could serve as a complementary tool to support mental health, recovery and focus during intense training periods. By creating structured opportunities for creative expression, sports clubs can foster a more holistic approach to athlete development, balancing physical training with cognitive and emotional wellbeing.

In essence, the divide between “jocks” and “arty students” might be more a cultural stereotype than a neurological reality. Both artists and athletes thrive on creativity, focus and flow qualities that could be harnessed to enhance overall wellbeing.

Art and Sport at the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics: A Conversation with Živa Škodlar

One of my fondest memories from my year of teaching art in Slovenia in 2024 was meeting Živa Škodlar, art historian and director of Visconti Fine Art. During my time living in Ljubljana, I began my journey exploring the intersections between art and sport. Do athletes and artists think in similar ways, or are their approaches entirely opposite? Can sport be celebrated through art? And can art be used to support athletes’ wellbeing before big tournaments?

While walking through Ljubljana—I stumbled across a small gallery opening with a large poster “Art and Sport.” Up the stairs, I entered a room with high ceilings and original Andy Warhol pieces adorning the walls. Floor-to-ceiling books lined the entrance. I asked the receptionist, a local art student, if I could meet the gallery owner, after a quick phone call to the upstairs apartment Živa Škodlar walked in.

I was immediately struck by the depth of her knowledge and opinions of how the art world has changed over time. Over the course of our initial chat, I found out more about her most famous art exhibition curated for the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics. She shared stories and photographs from decades of curating, alongside her husband Lazo Vujić, one-man shows for some of the most iconic artists of our time. Their archive included encounters with Andy Warhol, James Rosenquist, David Hockney, Henry Moore, Robert Rauschenberg, Tom Wesselmann, Vladimir Veličković, and Dušan Džamonja. As an art teacher, I experienced second-hand starstruck moments, here I was speaking to someone intimately acquainted with the very artists I teach to my Year 7 students.

During our interview a week later one of the most exciting discoveries was the collection of prints in front of me, curated by Živa herself, from the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics. This “Art and Sport” project brought a significant cultural and artistic dimension to the games, featuring graphic prints by internationally renowned artists, including Warhol, Hockney, and Cy Twombly. Each piece interprets the Olympic spirit and the dynamism of sport through a unique artistic lens.

Our conversation lasted over two hours, and we recorded our discussion while I soaked in the atmosphere of the gallery. Afterwards, I was invited upstairs to their apartment, where I enjoyed a traditional Slovenian meal, exchanging stories. The videos from that day are archived and will be made into a short film.

Thank you, Živa, for welcoming me into your world and your home. Meeting you and experiencing Visconti Fine Art has left a lasting impression, deepening my understanding of how art and sport can converse, inspire, and coexist.

https://viscontifineart.com/