Tomokazu Matsuyama is participating in The Art of the Game, a public art initiative timed to coincide with the FIFA World Cup 2026

Tomokazu Matsuyama is participating in The Art of the Game, a public art initiative timed to coincide with the FIFA World Cup 2026. 

The ARTS 14C project, The Art of the Game, is the final philanthropic initiative of the late art patron Agnes Gund. Bringing together leading contemporary artists to transform monumental soccer balls into public artworks, the project celebrates the unifying power of sport, culture, and community. Five of the balls, including Matsuyama’s, will be auctioned at Christie’s to support charitable causes, while the remaining works will remain on permanent public display. 

Matsuyama’s contribution, Softly Distance, is a large-scale sculptural work that extends themes central to his artistic practice: the coexistence of diverse cultural identities, the beauty of human connection, and individuality within a globalized world. The soccer ball motif serves as a particularly fitting vehicle for these ideas.   

Fabricated at Powerhouse Arts in Brooklyn, each sculpture consists of 32 aluminum panels mounted on a stainless-steel frame. Matsuyama’s design features high-resolution UV-printed imagery depicting people from different backgrounds, flowers representing optimism and positivity, and vibrant stripes that symbolize unity through diversity. 

The presentation of Softly Distance in a public space in New York carries special significance during the FIFA World Cup, the world’s most widely viewed sporting event. At a moment when millions of people are connected through a shared global experience, the work offers an opportunity to reflect on themes of connection, inclusion, and mutual understanding beyond the competitive nature of sport. 

Softly Distance will be on view at Columbus Circle in Manhattan, New York, from June 11 through September 7, 2026. 

 

【EVENT DETAILS】
The Art of the Game
Venue: Columbus Circle（848 Columbus Cir, New York, USA）
Period: June 11 – September 7, 2026
URL: https://arts14c.org/the-art-of-the-game/
Organizers: ARTS 14C, The New York New Jersey 2026 World Cup Host Committee