MIF25: Football City, Art United. at Aviva Studios

Maja Lorkowska, Exhibitions Editor

Book now

Football City, Art United.

Aviva Studios, Manchester
4 July-24 August 2025

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Multiple floating footballs inside a green room with white goalpost markings on the walls. The perspective and reflections create an illusion of depth, making it appear as if the balls are suspended in mid-air.
Factory International
Book now

Art and football may seem like an unlikely match but one with plenty of potential. Especially when it happens in Manchester, a city with a burning passion for both of these disciplines, even if one is favoured over the other, just a little bit.

MIF25 presents Football City, Art United, a project that pairs artists with footballers in a playful combo of imagination and creativity, on and off the pitch. Inspired by the ‘trequartista’ position (a midfielder who is creative enough to always be a few steps ahead), it brings together 11 pairs of artists and footballers to produce multimedia works for a unique group exhibition.

Football City, Art United was conceived by World Cup and Champions League winner Juan Mata; one of the world’s most famous art curators Hans Ulrich Obrist; and writer and filmmaker Josh Willdigg. Mata actually returns to MIF this year, having previously worked with artist Tino Sehgal on This Entry in 2023. Boundaries blur between the fields of art and football as the trio take a closer look at what they can learn from one other.

The artist-footballer pairings promise a whole host of audio-visual experiences, from explorations of football and gender through film (Suzanne Lacy, Vivianne Miedema and Ali Riley) to a more light-hearted look at the effects of fame on players (Ryan Gander and Eric Cantona).

Ex-footballer and photographic artist Edgar Davids collaborates with sculptor and video artist Paul Pfeiffer to create an immersive tunnel installation. The piece explores the moments of heightened tension and personal rituals experienced by the players in the moments between the dressing room and football pitch.

Artist Rose Wylie teams up with Arsenal and England defender Lotte Wubben-Moy in an image exchange. Both sharing a passion for drawing, the project sees Wubben-Moy provide images and inspirations for Wylie’s reinterpretations.

Football would not be the same without the community that surrounds it, an aspect explored by artist Alvaro Barrington and Brazilian footballer Raí. Mexican artist and fashion designer Bárbara Sánchez-Kane works with Mexico goalkeeper Jorge Campos on a work inspired by the neomayan architecture of Manuel Amábilis. Campos’ legendary vibrant kits, goalkeeping style and love of surfing are also informing the final piece.

Digital artist collective Keiken come together with Ella Toone to create a piece that explores the footballer’s unique perspective, motivations and love for the sport. In another duo, artist Jill Mulleady draws on her memories of meeting legendary Argentinian player Diego Maradonna, returning to Maradona’s La Mano de Dios (Hand of God), one of the most iconic, and controversial, moments in football history.

As well as an array of works, from sound and digital installations to paintings and drawings, the final exhibition features 11 video screens revealing the creative process of each pair. These behind-the-scenes films showcase the global nature of the project, with footage from Paris, Los Angeles, São Paolo and anywhere in between.

Football City, Art United. is an exhibition that joyously transcends boundaries between two very different worlds, coming together for a wonderfully unique cultural experience.

Take a look at the website to book your tickets now. Under 16s go free!

Accessibility

  • Captioned
  • Relaxed

What's on at Aviva Studios

Where to go near MIF25: Football City, Art United. at Aviva Studios

Castlefield
Event venue
Old Granada Studios

Manchester’s old Granada Studios is an iconic piece of the city’s history and home to Sidney Bernstein’s television empire.

Manchester Opera House by Phil Tragen
City Centre
Theatre
Manchester Opera House

A commercial touring theatre, the Manchester Opera House is reopening in August 2021, all set to host the city’s finest mainstream theatrical productions, music gigs, opera and ballet.

City Centre
Music venue
Low Four Studio

Old Granada Studios has announced Low Four: a new studio and music project that will stream and archive live music performance as part of a new generation of music TV programming. The inclusion of a viewing balcony also means that these recordings, along with special events and concerts, will be made open to a few […]

Manchester
Restaurant
20 Stories

High-end restaurant and cocktail bar, with stunning views of the Manchester skyline.

Manchester
Gallery
Smolensky Gallery

This appointment-only gallery is a hidden gem in Manchester. Art lovers and collectors can browse many high quality pieces.

Manchester
Hotel
Moxy Manchester City

Moxy Manchester City is a stylish 146-bedroom hotel in Spinningfields, with an attractive living room lobby and modern, well-stocked bar.

What's on: Exhibitions

A woman sits on a crochet covered armchair, wearing a crochet costume and holding a crochet eyeball to her face
Until
ExhibitionsLeeds
A Soft Disturbance at Assembly House

An interactive surrealist textile and soundscape installation by Leeds based artist Abigail Elizabeth and Sound Designer Sam Jones. Do you want to come and play? No pressure, we just want you

Free entry
In a large industrial space filled with dobby looms hangs a blood red textile piece infront of a sheer white backdrop.
Until
ExhibitionsLeeds
Loops at Sunny Bank Mills

‘Loops’ is a new collaborative exhibition of textiles at Sunny Bank Mills, connecting artists from across the Netherlands and Yorkshire.

Free entry

Culture Guides

Cloudwater Production One
Tours and Activities in the North

Go forth with wild abandon to dance the pavements, dabble with the paint and down the pints in this month's tours and activities guide.

Star Nhà Ease
Cinema in the North

July's cinema highlights include spotlights on international cinema, a new cult classic, plus a visit from one of our favourite directors.

Theatre in Manchester
Theatre in the North

Summer signals theatre festivals, world premieres and open-air spectacle - from MIF25 to comedy, outdoor circus and beyond, here’s what we’re looking forward to.

Harry Baker
Literature Events in the North

From environmental to experimental, our poetry and prose picks from around the North are focused on the unusual and the fun.

Exhibitions in the North

Captivating, urgent and intimate - we bring you our top exhibition picks, with even more art festivals, artist-led shows and new venues.

Helena Hauff
Music in the North

Shape-shifting bands, scorched-earth techno, and off-grid festivals. Our latest music picks catch the live scene at its most urgent, inventive and alive.