For the first time, European martial arts are hosted in the cultural program of the European Games. An exhibition, an invitational gala tournament, and two conferences will offer the visitor of the European Games insights into the multifaceted aspects of European martial arts heritage and traditions brought back to life.
The signing of the contract with the museum, with announcement of the exhibition, the gala tournament, and the conference on the national Belarusian TV.
Save the date! Details to be added in January 2019. Click on the picture for further information.
Save the date! Details to be added in January 2019. Click on the picture for further information
Save the date! Details to be added in January 2019. Click on the picture for further information.
By displaying both objects (ancient books, arms and armour) and intangible cultural heritage (martial arts), this special exhibition offers the visitors of the European Games a unique experience in rediscovering a forgotten martial culture. The ancient ways of the sword will be celebrated through a visualisation of the processes behind the development of martial ethos, from the forge to the use of weapons.
One of the most appealing aspects of Historical European Martial Arts is their practice as a combat sport. In the past twenty years HEMA has turned into a global phenomenon. Worldwide, nation-wide and regional tournaments, competitions and events have helped in the spread of this movement. In Minsk, 4 of the most popular weapon categories (longsword, sword & buckler, rapier, rapier & dagger) will be presented to the public with an invitational tournament with top athletes of the sport from around the world.
Two conferences will complement the exhibition and the tournament, and will shed more light to European martial arts.
The first one, “Martial arts, past and present: A pan-European cultural experience”, is an academic international conference, with renowned speakers in martial arts studies.
The second, “Historical European Martial Arts, from the page to the gym”, is a public outreach event, geared towards HEMA practices and the research that nourishes them.
Minsk History Museum, April 25-26, 2019
Martial Arts are cultural products of every society. They are always concerned about their connection to a (fictionalised) past. Their (re)invented or reconstructed practices usually struggle between past and present, heritage and innovation, in other words, with the concept of “tradition”. This conference will explore how martial arts are preserved and mediated. In order to reach out outside of the practitioners’ circles (martial arts mediated through bodies), martial arts are preserved in books and objects (martial arts in collections and museums), and they are infused in other forms of media (storytelling, legend, movies, hyper-reality).
Minsk History Museum, 21 June 2019
Historical European Martial Arts have been documented in the corpus of fight books since the fourteenth century, and fight books are still written today. Several revivals of past martial arts practices are documented throughout history, but especially in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The recent movement started in 1990s has become global in the last twenty years. How do martial arts practitioners develop their modern practice with the use of the fight books’ corpus? What are the processes involved into turning inscription, description or codification of martial arts written on a page into a contemporary martial arts practice or a combat sport?
The organisation of the exhibition, the tournaments and the conferences is a joined venture, led by Roberto Gotti, with the support of Daniel Jaquet. Along the way of these non-profit endeavours, we enjoyed the support and help of many institutions, organisations and individuals.
The main partner is the Foundation “Directorate of the 2nd European Games 2019”
Curators: Roberto Gotti, Daniel Jaquet, and Iason-Eleftherios Tzouriadis.
Institutional partners: Minsk History Museum, Foundation Directorate of the 2nd European Games, and Museum of Martial Arts (Botticino, IT).
Scientific committee: Yulia Igina (Arms and armour), Marco Merlo (Marzoli Museum, IT), Manuel Valle Ortiz (Agea Editions, SP), Miriam Vogelaar (Rare books and manuscripts).
Graphic design and photo: Linda Balboni Gotti and Sara Apostoli.
Restoration and replica production: Andrea Caccaveri and Giovanni Sartori.
Organizing committee: Alberto Bombrezzi, Roberto Gotti, Kristine Konsmo, Francesco Lodà, Axel Pettersson, Ton Puey, George Zacharopoulos.
A list of delegates by region mandated by the organisation can be consulted here.
Collaboration: the International Federation for HEMA (IFHEMA) has been invited to Minsk 2019. With the General Assembly’s absolute agreement it welcomes this opportunity and offers it’s patronage to this unique event. The other countries without membership to IFHEMA send their team through delegates mandated by the organizing committee.
“Martial Arts, past and present” (April 25-26, 2019)
Organizing committee: Daniel Jaquet and Iason-Eleftherios Tzouriadis.
Collaboration: Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, and Acta Periodica Duellatorum.
“Historical European Martial Arts. From the page to the gym” (June 21, 2019)
Organizing committee: Daniel Jaquet and Roger Norling.
Collaboration: Minsk History Museum, HROARR.
Website by Daniel Jaquet
![[Conference] Martial Arts, past and present. A pan-European cultural experience](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5bcb47cf2727be49f50e427f/5bcc810cf4e1fc3b645735bb/5bcc937124a694be07c7b699/1542229880309/WH_1.5.1.jpg)
![[exhibition] Opening ceremony](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5bcb47cf2727be49f50e427f/5bcc810cf4e1fc3b645735bb/5bcc953353450a8374db6a88/1542229850456/42698737_334919390613983_6704929623957831680_n.jpg)
![[Conference] Historical European Martial Arts. From the page to the gym](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5bcb47cf2727be49f50e427f/5bcc810cf4e1fc3b645735bb/5bcc94109140b7564521e992/1542229901229/WH_1.5.1.jpg)
