Are contemporary art and football compatible?

This group exhibition is an attempt to answer this question. Art and football have one thing in common: they both convey emotions. These emotions are made of joy, admiration, euphoria, pride, but also of sadness, disappointment, hatred and unfortunately sometimes violence.

It is important to know that art has always been interested in the world of football, among the most famous examples, 'The Football Players' 1908 by Douanier Rousseau, 'The Parc des Princes' 1952 by Nicolas de Staël, 'Jump Over' 1996 by Gabriel Orozco or 'Samuel Eto'o' 2010 by Kehinde Wiley... Art reflects society and its time, and society is influenced by art. The same is true for football. Football does not only reflect a sporting dimension, it is also societal, bringing together values of sharing and communion, but also of division and communitarianism. Football has a quasi-religious dimension, every city has its places of worship and its football stadium. A text entitled 'The Rituals of Football' explains it as follows: 'Football can also be compared to a religion. Admittedly, football is in no way a belief in an afterlife, but it is nevertheless characterised by a practice, a fervour and rituals that make it a moment of expression of religiosity to the point that football is sometimes referred to as a 'modern planetary religion'.'

I think we can go even further, isn't football art, the art of the dribble, of the shot... An art that is both ephemeral but that can lead to posterity, an art of the moment or the movement born from the thought of the one who creates from head to foot. Are football performances not similar to artistic performances, both unique?

It is important not to forget that those who live and vibrate for this sport, the supporters, through their songs, their tifos, their choreographies bring a creative dimension to the great football masses.

Art, in its broadest sense, has always been an indisputable element of the extraordinary world of football and the power it has over people and their emotions.

Press release courtesy Dumonteil Contemporary.