Latest news with #Knockout
Hypebeast
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
Amanda Ba Rethinks the Power of Sport in New San Francisco Show
Summary As the NBA Finals heats up, a new exhibition in San Francisco invites us to consider the stories that empower our beloved games. AtMicki Meng, Chinese American painterAmanda BapresentsFor Sport, her debut solo exhibition in the NorCal hub, turning to the language of athleticism — bodies in motion, muscles under tension – as a means to explore deeper themes of identity, spectacle and power. The works on view build off the ideas in Ba'sDeveloping Desireexhibition staged at Jeffrey Deitch last fall, this time zeroing in on the psychosexual drama of high-performance sport. In this showcase of seven figurative paintings, a newly conjured cast of characters take on the likes of boxers, hunters, synchronized swimmers, basketball players, weightlifters and skiers. While embodying the grit and grace of their respective games, the East Asian female protagonists push against stereotypes of obedience and hyperfemininity, asserting strength, agency and emotional complexity in their intensely muscular presentations. In a recent interview withDazed, Ba cited last year's Paris Olympics as a key inspiration: 'It's such a nationalistic display of soft power,' she said. 'And it's so easy, for me even, to be influenced by judgments of those moments and project them onto a view of an entire nation.' Here, mega-events, like the Olympics, act as arenas where 'heroism, aggression and eroticism' play out in every pose, every punch. More than affirming a hometown or namely national pride, Ba explores how these competitions dually reinforce and refract cultural mythos and global hierarchies. Highlights include 'Knockout I & II,' where two female boxers face off beneath stadium lights, their confrontation both brutal and balletic, echoing struggles beyond the ring. Additionally, 'Hunters' depicts a figure traveling amid a pack of beagles. With a shotgun slung over the shoulder and face shadowed by the bill of a Sherlock's hat, the piece rides the line between a 'primitive activity' — done in the name of survival and 'for sport.' The exhibition is now onviewin San Francisco through June 27. Micki Meng Bayview1720 Armstrong Ave.,San Francisco, CA 94124
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Former WWE NXT champion Indi Hartwell officially signs with top promotion
Image via WWE Months after her WWE release, Indi Hartwell has finally made a major move and signed with a top wrestling company. Indi Hartwell was one of the top prospects in the WWE for a long time. However, her main roster stint was nowhere close to the success she claimed in WWE NXT. This led to her release from the company in December 2024. Following that, Hartwell wrestled majorly on the independent circuit and for wrestling promotions in her home country. However, months after leaving the global juggernaut, Hartwell returned to the mainstream and signed with its partner company, TNA Wrestling . Indi Hartwell became a major name to sign with TNA Wrestling At the recent TNA Rebellion 2025 pay-per-view, Indi Hartwell was spotted sitting ringside for the show. In the final hour of the event, TNA interviewer Gia Miller came to her to make a huge announcement. She revealed that Indi Hartwell was the newest signee to the TNA Knockouts division. The former WWE NXT Champion was overwhelmed with the applause of the fans upon the announcement. She said, "It's a dream come true for me, and I wanna say, it's officially official, Indi Hartwell has crossed the line." Indi Hartwell becoming a part of the Knockouts division could be a huge move to elevate the roster with her prime skills and acumen as an in-ring competitor. Indi Hartwell had one of the most remarkable stints in WWE's developmental territory, NXT. She was a top fixture for the brand and even won the NXT Women's Championship at one point. This led to her call-up to the main roster, and she was assigned to the SmackDown brand. However, she was not utilized properly and given limited television time, leading to her popularity taking a huge hit. In December 2024, Indi Hartwell was shockingly released from WWE. However, she had no hard feelings for the company and had praise for them for everything they gave her. Moreover, with WWE and TNA having a multi-year partnership agreement in place, Hartwell is back close to her old territory. With the Australian star starting a new journey as a Knockout, it will be interesting to see if she can replicate the same success she had in WWE NXT. Also read: Mukesh Khanna's Shaktimaan costume sparks debate as netizens claim 90s WWE wrestler wore it first
