Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

SFMOMA's Get in the Game Exhibition Shows That Sports Is No Museum Piece

26/11/2024

SFMOMA's Get in the Game Exhibition Shows That Sports Is No Museum Piece More than 200 compelling artworks and design objects focus on sports, including broadcast By Dan Daley, Audio Editor

Tuesday, November 26, 2024 - 7:00 am

Print This Story | Subscribe

Story Highlights

San Francisco's Museum of Modern Art is hosting Get in the Game: Sports, Art, Culture until Feb. 18, 2025.

The U.S. is home to dozens of sports-themed museums, from the California Surf Museum to the New England Ski Museum. There are the iconic ones, of course - Cooperstown, NY's Baseball Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH - as well as more-nuanced venues - the Museum of Polo in Lake Worth, FL, the World Kite Museum & Hall of Fame in Long Beach, WA. But is sports actually gallery-worthy?

San Francisco's Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) believes so. From Oct. 19, 2024, to Feb. 18, 2025, it's hosting Get in the Game: Sports, Art, Culture, which explores and chronicles the powerful - and sometimes contentious - place of athletics in contemporary life and art.

The Broadcast-Sports Angle Although the depictions of sports, produced by artists and designers inspired by athletes, are important, there are also elements that reflect broadcast's place in that universe. For instance, the exhibition features four screens showing short video clips and photography of major events in sports history and includes references to broadcast media, such as ABC's Wide World of Sports.

There are definitely connections to broadcast sports in the exhibition design, says Rebecca Herman, assistant director, communications, SFMOMA, and in some of the specific artworks as well.

Paul Pfeiffer's video installation Caryatid (Pacquiao) refers to a Manny Pacquiao boxing match.

In addition, some of the contemporary artworks in the exhibition are inspired by televised sports events:

Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno's Zidane, a 21st century portrait is a two-channel, 90-minute video using footage from 17 cameras that tracked soccer star Zinedine Zidane during the infamous 2005 match where he was sent off the field after headbutting an opponent.

Tara Mateik's video installation reenacts the 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, including references to the audio commentary.

Paul Pfeiffer's video Caryatid (Pacquiao) offers edited TV coverage of a Manny Pacquiao boxing match to make it look like he's fighting an unseen opponent.

Rosalyn Drexler's painting Death of Benny Kid Paret depicts the demise of boxer Paret, with six vignettes that mimic a TV screen.

And More Audiences will also encounter conversations advancing issues around gender, race, and identity, as well as artworks responding to the achievements of such sports figures as Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Colin Kaepernick, Diana Nyad, Venus Williams, and Zidane.

Gabriel Orozco's Ping Pond Table invites museum visitors to participate.

There is also an interactive component. Viewers are able to play with interactive artworks by contemporary artists: Maurizio Cattelan's 22-person foosball table, Stadium (1991), and Gabriel Orozco's Ping Pond Table (1998), a four-way ping-pong table with a square pool in place of a net.

In addition, real-life items - Michael Johnson's gold running shoes, Nike's original Air Jordan basketball shoes - are presented as art, along with exhibits chronicling the design evolution and technological advances of surfboards, tennis racquets, and football helmets. Reflecting changes on the fields of play, the exhibition integrates more-esoteric designs from recent years, such as the Cheetah Xceed prosthetic running leg, developed by biomedical engineer Van Phillips (himself an amputee).

Sam McKinniss's painting Ameriquest Field in Arlington, TX, Sept. 3, 2006 depicts baseball fans in the stands.

The show - SFMOMA's largest-ever single-subject exhibition - has a companion book. The identically titled tome examines how sports unites people through shared emotional and physical experiences and sparks conversations on gender, race, money, the human body, and the drive to compete and win. Topics range from the intersection of race and mental health and the role of stadiums in society to the history of adaptive sports and the data revolution in baseball. The book also revisits key moments in sports history, such as Colin Kaepernick's protest, Simone Biles's withdrawal from the 2020 Olympics, the first-ever Gay Games, and Brandi Chastain's World Cup win.

San Francisco and the Bay Area may be losing sports teams - the NFL Raiders left Oakland for Las Vegas in 2020; the MLB Athletics played their final game at the Oakland Coliseum in September and will play in Sacramento for the next three or more seasons - but the NFL 49ers, the MLB Giants, and the NHL Sharks are still there. Now the area also has an artistic rendering of sports that's as unique as it gets.
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2024/11/26/sfmomas-get-in-the-game-exhibit...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

08/05/2026

Report: Rise of Video Podcasts Prompts Hybrid Approach

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/05/2026

U.K. Military Broadcaster Taps Synamedia for Digital Platform

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/05/2026

Gayle Benson To Receive NAB Leadership Foundation Leadership Award

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/05/2026

Dems Blast FCC Disney Probe As 'Egregious Abuse of Power'

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

08/05/2026

Liberty University on why broadcast technology isn't just a technical investment, it's a human one

Liberty University on why broadcast technology isn't just a technical invest...

08/05/2026

COW Jobs: UGC, On-Camera Video Content

COW Jobs: UGC, On-Camera Video Content Brie Clayton May 7, 2026 0 Comments UGC, On-Camera Video Content April 17, 2026Documentary Editor - US,......

07/05/2026

Sudan Digital Investigation Hub launches to support journalists navigating disinformation in conflict

Journalists reporting on Sudan are working in one of the most complex and fast-m...

07/05/2026

Victory+ CEO Neil Gruninger on the Impact of the Dallas Cowboys Deal, Creator-Led Content, and Free In-Market Access for Fans

Multi-year partnership positions Victory+ as a free home for Dallas Cowboys orig...

07/05/2026

SVG Students To Watch: Ella Peterson, University of Illinois

From sideline reporting to directing and producing, the talented sophomore is building a well-rounded foundation for a career in live sports production In the ...

07/05/2026

NAB 2026: Cobalt Digital Wins Two Future Best of Show Awards

Cobalt Digital has received two Future Best of Show awards at NAB Show 2026. The COBALT blueCORE platform was recognized by TV Tech, and the COBALT PACIFIC ULL-...

07/05/2026

Scripps National Spelling Bee Revamps Broadcast; Mina Kimes to Host, Embassy Rows Michael Davies to Produce

ESPN analyst Mina Kimes will host the televised semifinals and finals of the 202...

07/05/2026

MUBI Selects Bitmovin as Cloud VOD Encoding Partner

Bitmovin has announced that MUBI, the global film streaming platform, has selected Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner. Bitmovin's encoding infrastru...

07/05/2026

NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and U.S. Soccer Extend Spanish-Language Media Rights Through 2030

NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and the U.S. Soccer Federation have announced...

07/05/2026

Angel City Football Club and Victory+ Announce Regional Broadcast Partnership

Angel City Football Club (ACFC) and Victory have announced a regional broadcast partnership bringing live match coverage to fans across the greater Los Angeles...

07/05/2026

Spiideo Launches AI Highlights for Automated Highlight and Clip Creation

Spiideo has announced the launch of AI Highlights inside Spiideo Play, its automated sports production platform. AI Highlights combines video, event data, audio...

07/05/2026

Leostream Announces Unified HPC Remote Access Ecosystem for Post-Production and Enterprise Workflows

Leostream Corporation has announced a unified remote access ecosystem for high-p...

07/05/2026

Victory+ Adds Atlanta Dream Local Broadcasts to Free Streaming Platform

The Atlanta Dream has partnered with Victory to stream all locally broadcast Dream games for free, expanding the team's digital distribution strategy and g...

07/05/2026

Riedel Communications Appoints Marc Engroff as CFO; Frank Eischet Moves to Group COO Role

Riedel Communications has announced the appointment of Marc Engroff as Chief Fin...

07/05/2026

ARD Extends SES Satellite Distribution Agreement Through 2039

SES and ARD, Germany's largest public broadcasting network, have announced a long-term extension of their satellite distribution partnership through 2039. U...

07/05/2026

Case Study: How Pro Cheer League Built a Broadcast-First Arena Production

UpLight Technologies delivers a flexible video and lighting system for a new televised sportLaunching the Pro Cheer League required more than creating a compell...

07/05/2026

Full Day Productions and GSE Worldwide Launch Womens College Volleyball Showcase at AT&T Stadium

Full Day Productions and GSE Worldwide have announced Spikes Under the Lights, a...

07/05/2026

Deine persnliche Spotify DJ Experience ist jetzt in vier neuen Sprachen und weiteren Mrkten verfgbar

Seit dem Start im Jahr 2023 hat DJ (Beta) das personalisierte H rerlebnis von 94...

07/05/2026

Il DJ personalizzato di Spotify ora disponibile in 4 nuove lingue e in pi Paesi

Da quando stata presentata nel 2023, DJ (beta) ha aiutato a definire un'esperienza d'ascolto pi personalizzata per 94 milioni di utenti Spotify Premi...

07/05/2026

Your Personalized DJ Experience Is Expanding With 4 New Languages and More Markets

Since launching in 2023, DJ (beta) has helped shape a more personalized listenin...

07/05/2026

Seu DJ personalizado do Spotify t chegando em mais lugares - agora em 4 novos idiomas

Desde o lan amento em 2023, o DJ (beta) j ajudou a deixar a experi ncia de ouvi...

07/05/2026

Save Your Personal Podcast to Spotify and Listen Anywhere

From our earliest days, Spotify has been built on a simple principle: Great audio should be easy to reach. It's what's driven us to expand from music to...

07/05/2026

Spotify Celebrates API Heritage Month With New Music and Artist Spotlights

Asian and Pacific Islander artists continue to shape the global soundscape, pushing creative boundaries and connecting with fans worldwide. This Asian & Pacific...

07/05/2026

Symphonic Elements Chooir by UJAM

Company announce long-requested choir instrument In the latest expansion of their Symphonic Elements series, UJAM have introduced an all-new vocal instrumen...

07/05/2026

Buchla debut Ziggy synthesizer

Modular-inspired sound generation with digital control Buchla have introduced Ziggy, a new compact synthesizer built around the company's complex oscill...

07/05/2026

Polyend Drums hybrid drum machine

Combines analogue voices with digital synthesis and sequencing Polyend have announced Drums, a new hybrid analogue and digital drum machine that combines sy...

07/05/2026

Nektar Panorama CS12: Reaper & Fender Studio Pro support

Control surface now officially supports four DAWs When Nektar launched the Panorama CS12 control surface, it worked exclusively with Apple's Logic Pro, ...

07/05/2026

SGL Carbon: Expected lower sales, but EBITDA margin improved. Forecast confirmed

In the first quarter 2026, SGL Carbon generated consolidated sales of 184.5 million, which was 49.8 million, or 21.3%, lower than in the prior year (Q1 2025: ...

07/05/2026

Rohde & Schwarz and Greenerwave achieve precise and fast ESA antenna characterization using near-field technology

Rohde & Schwarz and Greenerwave achieve precise and fast ESA antenna characteriz...

07/05/2026

L3Harris Red Wolf + SKY RAIDER II INTERNATIONAL: Unmatched Flexibility for Kinetic Strike, EW, ISR and Support Missions

Two multi-role L3Harris products - the Red Wolf launched effects vehicle and SK...

07/05/2026

US Air Force Selects L3Harris to Develop Digital Infrastructure for its Advanced Battle Management System Network

L3Harris will be developing key features of a secure and resilient digital infra...

07/05/2026

New Nielsen Report Shows The Profound Impact of Asian Influence on Sports and Pop Culture

Alysa Liu and Shohei Ohtani Help Drive Viewership as 91 of the Top 100 Broadcast...

07/05/2026

IAB Tech Lab Introduces Standardized Signals For CTV Ad Portfolio

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/05/2026

Cobalt Digital Wins Two Future Best of Show Awards at 202...

Cobalt Digital Wins Two Future Best of Show Awards at 2026 NAB Show Manufacturer Recognized by TV Tech and TVBEurope for Innovation in signal processing Cobal...

07/05/2026

FOR-A delivers creativity practicality and technical exce...

Software and hardware platforms, AI power and user-friendliness on show...

07/05/2026

Intinor brings advanced IP transport diagnostics and HDR...

Intinor will demonstrate its latest technical enhancements for the Direkt series at BroadcastAsia 2026. With a continued focus on reliable contribution and remo...

07/05/2026

Bitmovin Powers Global Film Streaming Platform MUBI

Bitmovin has announced that MUBI has chosen Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner, replacing MUBI's legacy on premises encoding setup to improve scalab...

07/05/2026

Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2026

Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2026 Members of this years graduating class reflect on their proudest moments at Berklee and look ahead to whats next. ...

07/05/2026

Convergence is Now Established Reality,' Says NAB 2026 Report

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/05/2026

Interra Systems to Showcase Best in Class QC Monitoring a...

At BroadcastAsia 2026, Interra Systems will demonstrate its latest innovations in automated quality control (QC), real-time monitoring, and captioning. The comp...

07/05/2026

PlayBox Neo shines a spotlight on delivering Secure Scala...

At this year's Broadcast Asia, PlayBox Neo is set to unveil recent innovations across its PlayBox Neo Suite and integrated range of broadcast media solution...