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Step into the memories of iconic football player Lionel Messi—literally. The famous digital artist Refik Anadol has teamed up with Messi and the non-profit UNICEF to create his latest work, "Living Memory: Messi-A Goal in Life," a fully immersive experience showcasing the moment of Messi's (and football's) most iconic moment—his header in the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final.
The exhibit is presented through a Christie's sale that will be open for bidding July 8 to 22, with the free immersive experience at Christie's New York in Rockefeller Center July 12 to 22. Tickets are available on-site at Christie's each day, while supplies last.
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This unprecedented artwork from Anadol isn't simply a visual experience, but a multi-sensory memory for the audience and Messi. To create the installation, Anadol used data-driven artificial intelligence and open-source motion-tracking framework to map 17 points of Messi's body to reconstruct his body and expressions. Layered with biometric voice data, breathing rhythms and heartbeats, the tone and tempo is set for connecting with Messi in revisiting the goal. The experience is an eight-minute long, captivating "memory temple" according to Anadol.
"This isn't about nostalgia," Anadol said in a press release, as the reason for creating this art is to relive the depth of that split-second moment with Messi and to feel what the crowd and the world felt. Anadol has figured out how to combine art, technology and human emotions using this AI Data Sculpture.
As for the auction, proceeds will benefit nonprofits such as Miami CF Foundation's global partnership UNICEF, which supports quality education programs in countries across Latin America and the Caribbean. The opening bid is currently set at $1.5 million. The highest bidder for the artwork will also win a meet-and-greet with Messi himself. In the past, Anadol’s art has exceeded expectations in the contemporary art auction world, specifically during 2022 when $1.4 million was raised for "Living Architecture: Casa Batlló."
"It's an honor to join forces with the Inter Miami Foundation for a good cause—I feel privileged to be able to do so," Messi said in a press release. "This project means a lot to me, not only because it recalls a special moment in my career, but also because, thanks to such a unique artist like Refik, it can help improve the lives of others who truly need it."
"Living Memory: Messi-A Goal in Life" can be experienced digitally on Christie's website and in-person starting on July 12 from 10am to 5pm Monday through Saturday and 1 to 5pm on Sundays at Christie's New York (20 Rockefeller Plaza).