MANCHESTER.- An installation composed of three different cylindrical modules, like miniature playing fields, enriched on the ground by graphic patterns created by the Mexican artist Eduardo Terrazas. The walls come alive with circular holes, doors that connect the spaces and invite visitors to test themselves, transforming the path into a game of movement and challenge. Here they can try to leave their mark, as in a game played with the body and memory, inspired by the gestures of the legend Sandro Mazzola: this is “The Playmaker”, the interactive installation designed by the Stefano Boeri Architetti studio inspired by the historic footballer of the Italian national team, European champion in 1968 and vice-champion of the world in 1970, as well as a leading player of the Grande Inter with whom he won 4 league titles, 2 Champions Cups and 2 Intercontinental Cups.
“Sandro Mazzola was one of the legends of my childhood and adolescence. Extremely fast, unpredictable, technical, he combined the vision of a director and the determination of a striker. The homage to Mazzola is a homage to an 'architect of football', capable of anticipating with a snap the movements of other players on the pitch” commented architect Stefano Boeri.
The installation invites visitors to try to relive the goals scored by Sandro Mazzola and to invent new ones, offering an interactive experience that stimulates movement and participation, in a game of precision and strategy inspired by football.
“The Playmaker” was created as part of the “Manchester International Festival” within the exhibition “ Football City, Art United.” – co-curated by World Cup and Champions League-winning footballer Juan Mata, Serpentine Gallery Artistic Director Hans Ulrich Obris and filmmaker and writer Josh Willdigg, and co-developed with Holly Shuttleworth – brings together 11 pairings of artists and world-renowned footballers to explore the worlds of art and football in relation to the cultural contribution they both make to everyday life.
Stefano Boeri Architetti studio (worked on the project by: Stefano Boeri, Pietro Chiodi - Partners in charge, Anastasia Kucherova - Project Leader and Mohamed Hassan Elgendy), called upon to design its own interpretation of this message, chose to take inspiration from Sandro Mazzola , a legendary figure and icon of football and a mythological figure in Stefano Boeri's childhood and adolescent imagination, who, by combining the precision of a director with the determination of a striker, anticipated modern football, inventing an original role: the "false nine" (a goalscorer who can also act as a midfielder).
The installation is placed in the centre of the exhibition space, it is surrounded by ten other thematic works by artists and footballers – including Eric Cantona, Edgar Davids, Alvaro Barrington and Ryan Gander – in an interactive journey that will transport visitors to iconic roles in the world of football, prompting them to reflect on how art and football can learn from each other.
The work, which can be visited until August 24 in Manchester, at Aviva Studios – Factory International (a cultural space dedicated to creativity and large-scale immersive experiences) takes inspiration from the industrial character of the venue, aligning itself with its aesthetics to create an intense and identifying football environment. It features a modular system of walls, built with laminated wood profiles and multilayer panels, positioned vertically. The system of circular openings on the walls was designed with the input of professional footballers.
Commissioned by Factory International, TO Live and ARTRA. Produced by Factory International.
