Football: Designing the Beautiful Game is a large-scale international touring
exhibition from the Design Museum, London, which explores the design story
behind football and surveys how design has been used to push the game to
its technical and emotional limits.

From the master-planning of the world’s most significant football stadiums to the innovative materials used in today’s boots, the graphic design of team badges and the grassroots initiatives pushing back against the sport’s commercialisation, the exhibition will provide a rare and fun insight into the people and processes that have made football what it is today.

Football is unquestionably the world’s most popular sport, with a dedicated
fan base and a truly international reach. This world class touring exhibition
comes direct to Wolverhampton from the FIFA Museum in Zurich and
showcases over 200 objects on loan from The National Football Museum,
Manchester, the FIFA Museum, Zurich and private lenders, including items
worn or used by the likes of Stanley Matthews, Bryan Robson, Pelé, Lionel
Messi, Maradona and many other soccer giants past and present.

The show will also feature selected items from the Wolves Museum which reflect the rich history of football in the city and specially designed family-friendly activities to add to the fun.

Football: Designing the Beautiful Game will kick off at Wolverhampton Art
Gallery on Saturday, May 25 and runs until Sunday, September 1.

Alongside Football: Designing the Beautiful Game the Gallery will be
screening a film by contemporary artists Douglas Gordon and Philippe
Parreno. Their ambitious collaboration, Zidane, a 21st century portrait, follows
the French football star Zinédine Zidane in real time over the course of a single
match, which took place in 2005. Assembled from footage shot by seventeen
synchronized cameras placed around the stadium, the film captures Zidane
from multiple angles, from up close and afar, and remains steadfastly fixed on
him even when the central action of the match moves elsewhere. 

The film will be screened from Saturday, June 29 to Sunday, October 20, pre
booking is advised.

City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for Visitor City, Councillor
Bhupinder Gakhal, said: “Football is loved all around the world, but it isn’t justabout what happens on the pitch. This exhibition showcases all the designelements of the game that so many people are passionate about.

“As well as a programme of events and activities, visitors to the exhibition will
be able to explore the city’s world-class collection of art and objects.”

The exhibition has been made possible by funding and contributions from our
partners, Arts Council England, Levelling Up - Funded by Government,
Wolves Foundation and is free to enter. Pre booking is advised and tickets
can be booked via Football: Designing the Beautiful Game, a Design Museum
Touring Exhibition (ticketsolve.com).

The exhibition can be seen during gallery opening hours: Monday to Saturday
(10.30am to 4.30pm) and Sunday (11am to 4pm).