Artists Katherine Bernhardt, Hank Willis Thomas, and Tomokazu Matsuyama are among 23 artists who will debut soccer-ball sculptures across New York City and New Jersey as part of a major public art project tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The participating artists were nominated by the leadership of museums, including MoMA, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, El Museo del Barrio, and the Brooklyn Museum. Organized by ARTS 14C, a non-profit that focuses on arts accessibility, the large-scale installation is an official partnership with the FIFA World Cup 2026 organizing body.
This project, which will see sculptures installed across all five boroughs, also marks the realization of the late arts patron Agnes Gund’s last philanthropic project. Gund was a close friend of Diana Burroughs, the ARTS 14C’s residency program director, who conceptualized the initiative. Gund was asked to help bring institutionally celebrated artists onto the project, to cultivate a new contemporary art audience through the global popularity of the World Cup, which kicks off today.
Among the installation locations are Grand Central Terminal, the Brooklyn Museum, MetLife Stadium, and sites overlooking the Manhattan skyline.
The participating artists include Katherine Bernhardt, Hank Willis Thomas, Kevin Beasley, Eddie Martinez, Fred Wilson, Bony Ramirez, Tomokazu Matsuyama, Ronny Quevedo, Leo Castañeda, Taína H. Cruz, Nyugen Smith, Edgar Heap of Birds, and Futura 2000, among others.
The sculptures will remain on public view through Labor Day. Following the exhibition, a selection of the works will enter permanent public collections while others will be auctioned by Christie's, the project's official auction partner, with proceeds supporting charitable causes.
