Exhibition Match
16.02 - 18.02.2024
In the text, ‘A Conceptual History of Exhibition Making’, writer and curator Simon Sheikh poses an important question; “What does it mean to shift genre, category, format, or protocols at stake and thus entirely shift the terms of what an exhibition could be?” This question takes seriously the exhibition as medium with the potential to be reflected on as an object of study but also with the potential for transformation. It requires us to consider how artworks are assembled and formed into constellations that produce meaning and knowledge, among other things.
In a recent interview with Phokeng Setai, Alexander Richards and Callan Grecia, these questions of how artworks are made public — how they are circulated, seen, and discussed — became front and centre. Setai and Richards are co-founders and curators of Exhibition Match, a boundary-blurring project that brings together the worlds of football and art. By bringing together two seemingly disparate forms, the project hints at intersections between art and social life, while also proposing interesting methods of how exhibitions can be formed and experienced.
Beginning as a simple passion project between two friends, Exhibition Match has evolved into a multifaceted exploration of culture, community, and creativity, aptly described by Setai as “a kind of social sculpture, a networking exercise that makes the circle bigger.” Embracing an organic and playful approach, Setai and Richards see themselves not as curators in the traditional sense, but as facilitators, creating the framework for something to happen while allowing for natural growth and evolution. There is an exhibition and there is also a football match. “In some ways, it’s a bit of like a performance piece….. I suppose we are literally curating a kind of performance,” says Richards.
The latest iteration of Exhibition Match coalesced themes of art, football, agency and conflict, explored through a new body of work titled ‘Beef’ by artist Callan Grecia. Exhibited at One Park, a listening bar in the city, the exhibition offered a different perspective on display by shifting away from the white cube towards a more lived-in space. Grecia’s oil paintings vividly depict moments of violence and combative encounters in football matches, delving into markings of history. Grecia captures the intense moments of conflict on the football pitch and prompts viewers to reflect on broader societal issues. For instance “‘Beef 2’ captures one of the most violent tackles in World Cup history. In the 26th minute of the 2010 WC final in Johannesburg, a flying Nigel de Jong kicked Xabi Alonso in the chest. Shockingly, de Jong only received a yellow card for the tackle in the ill-tempered match that ended up with 14 yellow cards and 1 red card being dished out.” Broadly the work gestures towards nuanced relationships between football and conflict, often underscored by phrases that hint at war and friction such as ‘battle’ or ‘clash.’ There is a negotiation between the moment of violence and the effects it produces.
Grecia’s energetic and dynamic style draws parallels to historical paintings which are broken down into distinct planes and reassembled into abstracted forms, creating illusions of depth. They contain subtle references and symbols that add layers of meaning and complexity through the use of coding. Symbolic codes not only add to the overall aesthetic of the work but also invite the viewer to engage more deeply with the art, encouraging them to uncover hidden meanings and connections.
Setai and Richards extend the metaphor of the beautiful game as a curatorial approach; the exhibition equates to the football match with artworks moving across the field, the artist as a key player and the audiences as those engaging the match or the exhibition through viewership. Each player on the football field has the agency to make decisions that can impact the game positively or negatively, much like how artists can use their agency to create impactful works that reflect and respond to the world around them.
In an interview leading up to the match, which took place on Sunday 18th February at Badgers Football Academy, the curators tell me that at its core, Exhibition Match is about more than just football or art; “it’s about creating a sense of community and connection”. Throughout its three iterations; first in Cape Town in 2022, followed by Johannesburg during FNB Art Joburg in 2023 and finally in 2024, coinciding with the 11th Investec Cape Town Art Fair, the project has brought together artists, football enthusiasts, and curious bystanders.
Football and art are the core practices that make up the project but they are also setting off points from which connections, relationships and histories can be explored. The collaboration with Grecia extended to the design of the kit used in the game. The choice of gold and blue colours for Exhibition Match‘s kit, was inspired by the legendary South African football team Manning Rangers FC and carries deep historical significance. Manning Rangers FC, founded in 1928 by Govender R. Naidoo, emerged against the backdrop of a deeply divided South African society, marked by socio-economic, political, and racial divisions. During much of the twentieth century, South African football was segregated, with non-white players excluded from the national team and sports generally reflecting the apartheid regime’s policies.
Grecia’s family history intertwines with the story of Manning Rangers FC, particularly through his uncle and father, both talented footballers who were approached to play for the club. These personal narratives highlight the sacrifices made by individuals in the face of apartheid’s oppressive regime, where the prospect of a stable job often took precedence over pursuing dreams of footballing success. Through the design of the kit, Grecia tells his family’s story and honours their resilience in the face of adversity, showcasing the enduring legacy of those who dared to dream in a society that sought to limit them.
With its ability to blur, blend and combine, Exhibition Match produces a methodology that allows its curators (and by extension viewers) to travel between different forms as the project continues to hold each (the display of artworks through exhibition-making and traditional football games played between teams). These intersections contribute to histories of exhibitions and sports while continuing to produce interesting tensions.