Inside The Guardian, an article by Lanre Bakare covers Football City, Art United, an event within the Manchester International Festival featuring the participation of Stefano Boeri Architetti with their installation Playmaker.
The initiative, which aims to connect art and football, is developed by Factory International in collaboration with former player Juan Mata, curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, and writer/director Josh Willdigg, and involves 11 artists and 11 players.
In this context, the player teamed up with Stefano Boeri Architetti is Sandro Mazzola, a legendary figure in Italian football who embodied the spirit of the game through his creativity and determination.
The installation consists of three circular spaces, defined by graphic adhesives on the floor designed by Mexican artist Eduardo Terrazas and enclosed by a modular wall system made from glulam profiles and 3/8″ multilayer panels, inspired by skate ramps and placed vertically. The walls feature circular openings, designed with the input of professional players, large enough to allow a ball to pass through, thereby fostering dynamic interaction between spaces. Each area is enclosed by a white nylon net, reminiscent of a football goal, and houses a player, with an initial set of 3 balls per cage. Participants compete against each other for a limited time, trying to finish the match with the fewest balls in their own space.
To read the full article: The Guardian