The FIFA World Cup 2026 is bringing more than matches to the New York metropolitan area this summer. Art of the Game, a new public art initiative, will place 23 large-scale soccer ball sculptures across the five boroughs of New York City and northern New Jersey, with each work created by a different artist.
Among the participating artists are Futura 2000, Katherine Bernhardt, Hank Willis Thomas, Eddie Martinez, Kevin Beasley, Bony Ramirez, Edgar Heap of Birds, and Fred Wilson. Meanwhile, leadership from institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Brooklyn Museum, and El Museo del Barrio nominated the artists.
The installations will appear in parks, plazas, transportation hubs, and official watch party locations beginning this month and continuing through Labor Day. Consequently, the project extends the cultural reach of the FIFA World Cup 2026 beyond sporting venues and into public spaces.
The initiative also represents the final philanthropic project of arts patron Agnes Gund. Through partnerships with ARTS 14C and the FIFA World Cup 2026 New York New Jersey Host Committee, Gund helped connect leaders from major cultural institutions to the program.
Design and Fabrication Highlight Collaborative Craftsmanship
Each sculpture consists of 32 aluminum composite panels arranged in the traditional soccer ball pattern of 12 pentagons and 20 hexagons around a stainless steel framework. Furthermore, Powerhouse Arts in Gowanus fabricated the structures, while Mana Contemporary in Jersey City oversaw assembly.
Artists approached the commissions through different techniques and visual languages. Katherine Bernhardt applied her recognizable spray-painted aesthetic, while Tomokazu Matsuyama provided graphics for ultraviolet printing. Meanwhile, Open Call recipient Nyugen Smith incorporated hand-finished mixed-media elements into his work.
As a result, the installations demonstrate how contemporary artists reinterpret a universally recognized object through painting, graphic design, and material experimentation. In addition, the project highlights the role of fabrication studios and creative institutions in supporting large-scale public artworks.
Auction Proceeds Support Arts Education and Accessibility
Several sculptures will become permanent public works. Meanwhile, five sculptures created by Hank Willis Thomas, Katherine Bernhardt, Fred Wilson, Bony Ramirez, and Tomokazu Matsuyama will head to auction at Christie’s.
Proceeds from those sales will be divided among the artists, ARTS 14C, and Studio in a School, the arts education organization founded by Agnes Gund. Additionally, the remaining sculptures will be sold privately to support ARTS 14C’s mission of expanding access to the arts.
“The FIFA World Cup is the largest shared moment on earth and that’s exactly where art belongs,” said ARTS 14C founder and CEO Robinson Holloway.
Therefore, Art of the Game positions public art, design, and community engagement alongside one of the world’s largest sporting events. At the same time, the initiative reinforces the relationship between contemporary art, philanthropy, and cultural accessibility.
The sculptures will be installed throughout May and June and remain on view through Labor Day across New York City and New Jersey.