Turns out, you can have your high art and watch a World Cup match too. Because the Guggenheim Museum in New York has decided that what its iconic rotunda really needed this summer was a pop-up sports bar.
Yes, you read that right. The home of Kandinsky and Koons is now inviting you to grab a bite, watch some football, and soak in the collective excitement of global sporting events. This unexpected pivot is happening at Frank Pub's, a temporary setup inside The Wright, the museum's restaurant. Entry is free for members or with a regular museum admission ticket. Because apparently, that's where we are now.
From Fine Art to Football Frenzy
The museum will open an hour before select matches, turning Friday afternoons into a rather sophisticated kind of tailgate. The schedule includes:
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- US vs. Australia (June 19)
- Norway vs. France (June 26)
- Round of 32, Match 88 (July 3)
- Quarterfinals, Match 98 (July 10)
But the Guggenheim isn't abandoning its artistic roots entirely. Alongside the live games, they're screening Zidane, a 21st century portrait (2006) – an art film from their own collection, celebrating its 20th anniversary. It's the first time this particular piece of football-related art has graced the museum's walls, or rather, its screens.
The 90-minute film, by Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno, is a deep dive into the legendary midfielder Zinédine Zidane, often called Zizou. It follows him through every second of a single match on April 23, 2005, in Madrid. The museum's take? It's a chance to celebrate "the artistry of one of soccer’s most iconic players." Which, if you think about it, is both impressive and slightly terrifying.
The Art of Zizou
Zidane is one of 17 versions of the film, all created from footage captured by 17 synchronized cameras strategically placed around the stadium. This allowed the artists to capture the match from every conceivable angle, creating a viewing experience far beyond your typical sports broadcast.
Unlike what you'd see on TV, Zidane maintains an unwavering focus on the player, even when the ball has wandered off to flirt with another corner of the pitch. A second screen shows raw footage from one of those cameras, offering an unvarnished counterpoint to the edited version.
Zidane, for those less familiar with football lore, is a revered French player. He's perhaps most infamously known for his headbutt during the 2006 World Cup final – his last professional match. Later, he went on to manage Real Madrid, his former club, from 2016–18 and 2019–21.
The film will play continuously in the Guggenheim’s Peter B. Lewis Theater from June 11 to July 19, conveniently covering the entire duration of this year’s World Cup. It's part of the Guggenheim’s "Collection in Focus" series, proving that sometimes, even art needs a good shot on goal.
Nat Trotman, a curator at the museum, called Zidane "a key work" in their collection, noting it "plunges visitors into the world of the soccer player." He added that the artists' singular focus offers "a complex yet intimate portrayal of skill, celebrity, and sheer force of will." Because what's more artistic than a perfectly executed tackle, really?
