Davids speaks about a project he collaborated on with artist Paul Pfeiffer. The project aims to capture the intense atmosphere of the tunnel before a major game.
The piece will serve as an introduction to this year’s Manchester International Festival – titled Football City, Art United – where the beautiful game moves from the field to the artist’s studio.
“It’s now more important than ever to bring things together,” says Hans Ulrich Obrist, who co-curated the exhibition. “There’s a lot of separation, and it’s important to connect worlds that wouldn’t usually interact. It’s exciting to do so with sport.”
For the exhibition, Pfeiffer worked with Davids, who has a significant art collection of his own and suggested recreating the intensity of the tunnel.
“He referred to it as the moment of greatest tension,” explains Pfeiffer. “Even more so than being on the field itself.”
Visitors to the Aviva Studios in Manchester, where the exhibition is being held, will be immersed into a tunnel, complete with audio of crowd noise that Pfeiffer and his team recorded live at the San Siro stadium during the Milan derby earlier this year.
There are 11 “pairings” in total, with footballers and artists paired according to interests. One of the most anticipated works comes from Eric Cantona, who explores the effects of fame on a player.
Perhaps the most intriguing work is a collaboration between Berlin and London-based artist collective Keiken and the England star Ella Toone. Visitors can interact with a mask inspired by Toone’s “spirit animal”, the shetland pony.
“The idea is that football is for everyone and art is for everyone,” says Obrist. “We’re here to create a bridge of possibilities. There are moments of epiphany in football and art, and hopefully we can create some in Manchester.”
This is not the first time Obrist has embraced football. He was a passionate backer of Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait and has a long-running collaborative relationship with the footballer Juan Mata.
They have teamed up again this year at the Manchester International Festival.
Other participating artists include Suzanne Lacy, Bárbara Sánchez-Kane, Rose Wylie, and more.
Football City, Art United is at Aviva Studios, Manchester from 4 July to 24 August.
