The beautiful game and the contemporary art world collide at this weekend’s FNB Art Jo’burg with the sixth iteration of Exhibition Match.
Here’s what to expect from the inventive football and art event.
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The story
Football and art intersect more than what we as fans give it credit for. Art touches every aspect of the game, from self-expression on the pitch to vibrant kit designs, art is football, and football is art.
Exhibition Match is an art presentation founded on the desire to make art more accessible by merging it with the football world.
Curators and founders of the event, Phokeng Setai and Alexander Richards have grown Exhibition Match from a passion project to a permanent fixture in South Africa’s standout art fairs.
Phokeng and Alex are gearing up for the sixth iteration of Exhibition Match, titled “Football Atmospherics: On the Sounds and Kinetics of Football,” taking place from the 5th to the 8th of September.
This edition of Exhibition Match delves into the sensory depth of football, elevating it beyond its limiting status as just a sport.
This event invites visitors who love the beautiful game to fully engage with the sounds, movements, and energy that characterize football.
From iGwijo songs that touch every level of football in Mzansi to the echoing chants heard from Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United fans in the English Premier League, this exhibition will explore how football’s auditory and kinetic elements turn stadiums into hubs of shared expression, in a nutshell, spotlighting how football is closely linked to performance art.
Scroll through the gallery to view snaps from previous editions of Exhibition Match:
Taken at the last iteration of Exhibition Match’s football game.
Soccer Laduma Supplied
Contemporary artist Callan Grecia’s painting of the infamous incident at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, where French midfield legend Zinedine Zidane attacked former Italian defender Marco Materazzi in the final.
Soccer Laduma Supplied
Taken at the last iteration of Exhibition Match’s football game.
Soccer Laduma Supplied
Exhibition Match curators, Alexander Richards and Phokeng Setai.
Soccer Laduma Supplied
The latest iteration of Exhibition Match will be elevated this time around as the curators introduce a third element to their traditional two-item format.
Thuthuka Sibisi brings a queer lens to the “gentlemxn’s game” art exhibit, while multi-disciplinary artist Franceso Mbele will design the latest Exhibition Match jersey, which will be a nod to the fusion of contemporary fashion and sport, celebrating the intersection of identity and memory.
In a recent interview with Cape Town-based curators, Alex and Phokeng, mentioned why they want to pay homage to the atmosphere that surrounds football with the latest iteration of Exhibition Match and explained the third element of this weekend’s event and what to expect from Thuthuka Sibisi’s presentation:
“We are looking at the sounds and kinetics of the game. From the crowds at the stadium to the action on the pitch. We are looking at what we hear and what we feel within the game. The artist that will be doing the art exhibit, Thuthuka, is going to be doing something more performative, in that offering, which we don’t know what it will be like yet, he’ll incorporate the performance elements you see in football,” explained Phokeng, revealing the third element of Exhibition Match will be a celebration.
This celebration on Saturday will pay homage to the cultural landscape of South Africa’s post-1994 era, defined by Kwaito music and football.
“The football-themed party, we are looking at cultural nostalgia through SA football, with a focus on the 1990s, early 2000s, and popular culture. That’s why we will have Mzambiya as the key performer on the day,” stated Phokeng.
As always with Exhibition Match, a football game rounds it off and will be made up of artists, creatives and fellow art professionals. They’ll wear the jersey designed for the event, made by the aforementioned creative, Francesco Mbele.
In embracing the atmospheric nature of football, Alex referenced super fans and crowd entertainers like AmaZulu’s Dlamini and how they want to explore that sub-genre, through the lens of performance art, with Exhibition Match this weekend.
“It’s an interesting stretch for us, we have been interested in the spectator connection, and South Africa has the best spectator connection. It’s a really interesting segway or connection between art and football, that’s not a classic way,” stated Alex.
“Importantly, this iteration is about the supporter. We are turning our attention to the supporters, the people who make art/football what it is. More than anything, it’s about that,” emphasized Phokeng, with both curators understanding the importance of the spectator in both art and football.
In both football and art, community can be cultivated and can be seen as part of Mzansi’s identity.
“There’s a lot of people in both avenues. I would argue in South Africa, [art and football] are two core parts of our identity. You think of an artist like Esther Mahlangu, who is painting things that you can find all over Limpopo and the world. When you think about exports, both industries are export-heavy.”
Phokeng also pointed out the entertainment element of both art and football is what can cultivate an audience and/or a community:
“I think there’s something about these two fields. There’s something about people coming together around football and art, where expression is fundamental. In football, we see players being expressive in how they approach the game. And in art, a domain of self and collective expression.
“I want to go back to entertainment, how people view or converge around these two fields where expression is central in making them what they are. I think that’s what could be the building blocks of what community is made of; expression, coming together to see people expressing and allowing people to also express how they relate or consume these things,’ says Phokeng, highlighting how football and art bring people together.
