Gefecht

Behind the ideal of male strength in boxing, I found unexpected fragility. My work explores the tension between toughness and vulnerability — revealing emotions hidden beneath the surface of a sport shaped by resilience and pride.

Boxing is often seen as the ultimate embodiment of masculine strength: willpower, endurance, the ability to take hits and strike back are celebrated as core virtues. A note I found on the floor of the boxing club after six months of photographic documentation captures this ideal clearly:

“Boxing means willpower, fighting, overcoming, not feeling sorry for yourself. Listening to criticism and learning from it. Being able to take hits, but also to deliver them. Showing resilience, letting out frustration, feeling good again — being fair, and shaping a happy life every day.”

Yet behind this seemingly one-dimensional celebration of toughness, I discovered something else: fractures.

My work critically examines the overwhelming desire among many men to present strength and invulnerability — an ideal deeply rooted not just in boxing, but in broader societal expectations. Especially in this environment, where force, competition, and stoicism dominate the surface, I encountered a profound presence of emotion: insecurities, fears, and moments of care between fighters. The physical battles in the ring often mirrored internal struggles — doubts, hopes, and the search for belonging.

Through my photographs, I seek to trace these unseen tensions. The goal is not to simply confirm or dismantle clichés of toughness, but to reveal the complexity of what lies beneath: the closeness of strength and vulnerability, the fine line between self-assertion and self-protection.