Celebrating soccer artistry through artworks

In one of our recent posts, we referred to our very own football crazy artist’s Riyas Komu concern for the sorry state of this truly global sport in India. In his project ‘MARK HIM, he spoke of footballer Sailendra Nath (Sailen), who led India to the first Asian Games gold. Komu in his new series of works depicted the chasm of several seas (or Cs) that lies between Subrato and Cesar.

The message he wants to pass: “Even as we support the likes of Julio Cesar we could just move backwards and appreciate a bit our own Subratos.” The show tried to revisit memories of one of the oldest sport in India. It was as much about art as about a game and also about the art and socio-political dimension of football.

There is no doubt about the fact that The FIFA World Cup 2010 has drawn everyone’s attention. The climax has just been reached with Spain grabbing the coveted trophy long missing from their winning showcase. Off the field, an ambitious art exhibit has been arranged in celebration of soccer artistry.

On view there are works from some of Europe’s most famous contemporary artists, such as Ed Gray and Sir Peter Phillips, along with some not-so-known artists from North Korea whose photo-realistic paintings depict the soccer professional as proletarian hero. The five works show strapping soccer players from the country with earnest much like the Korean players at the WC.

Robert Spaul, the exhibit’s general manager, stated in an interview:

“I thought we would get some fairly predictable peasants working in the fields with soccer balls. What we got was some really photo-realistic-type paintings. An artwork that you’re going to frame and hang in your office or at home becomes a long lasting reminder of your experience, your trip to Africa and this important event.”

The comments aptly sum up the spirit of the show.