Smith: So much of how we relate to the world comes through the body with both art and sport.

When we see something created that wows us and moves us that we can't necessarily do, it becomes intriguing.

Holloway: The Art of the Game, it is an open air museum.

The soccer ball sculptures are spread out over New York City and New Jersey.

There are 23 in all, 23 for the 23rd World Cup.

Arts 14C, we started with a museum committee because we did want this to be a very high level of artist who would be participating, but it was always very important to us that we have a chance to anoint perhaps an emerging artist, to have an open call, to give them a chance to be part of this program.

And I was thrilled to see that Nyugen Smith was selected as the open call winner for New Jersey.

Smith: The first thing that came to mind was celebration of those people who cannot afford to be here for the World Cup.

So much of my practice itself is intuitive.

You know, the ideas that I might have, how does it relate?

How does it translate into a painting or sculpture?

So I saw the open call.

The first thing that I thought about was my connection to the game growing up in Trinidad, as well as my experience as an artist traveling throughout the Caribbean and traveling throughout Africa.

Understanding that the game itself is so important in those parts of the world, and when people can't afford a ball, they actually make them out of whatever is available.

The first part of the process was creating the collage digitally that would then be transferred onto the panels that make up the ball.

Thinking about many of these handmade balls are, they're often made of plastic, fabrics, even banana leaf.

And so I wanted to honor them, uplift them through my work.

Christian: You can actually start with this one.

Smith: You're doing this one first.

Yep.

That's it.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, you know, like when people would make their own handmade footballs?

Christian: Yeah.

Smith: That's the idea.

Christian: Oh, that's nice.

Smith: That's why it's called This One's For You.

Christian: Oh.

That's cool.

Smith: Think about people around the world.

Christian: Yes.

Smith: That by any means necessary, they play the game.

Christian: That's right.

Smith: The only place I've seen it was flat on the screen.

So to now see it in three dimensional form, it's definitely more interesting.

And then also, too, just giving me the ideas of the hand embellished elements, you know?

So I'm excited to now shift into that part of the actual process.

Today I'm just experimenting with burlap.

A lot of countries where this sack is really important to carry important goods like staple crops, flour, rice, coffee.

I like it for that kind of like resonance, geographical resonance, as well as being a great material for like, if we're going to make a ball out of different materials that you could find and locate, it's also durable for that kind of purpose as well, too.

I'm thinking the fact that it will be in front of City Hall.

Once you put it out in the public, don't know what's going to happen.

Holloway: As important to our mission as supporting artists and giving artists more opportunities, the audience is absolutely as important.

And public art does that really better than anything.

Because you don't need a ticket, you can just walk up to it.

Arts 14C met with Alex Lasry in March of 2025.

We had to make this something that was as universal as the game itself.

Lasry: You sometimes call some of the best athletes artists, right?

Artists on the pitch, artists on the field, artists on the court.

One of the best ways we can express what this game means to people is through art.

And I think that's why, again, we love this project so much.

It's a way to bring the game to the people outside of the stadium.

Smith: I want people to recognize that they understand the importance of those who are less visible within the context of this entire tournament.

Those who have contributed to this game and the history of this game, the stars of this game are people that often come from impoverished neighborhoods, impoverished communities.

And when we think about a worldwide tournament like FIFA that's happening now, the World Cup, I hope that people really understand and feel the connection that I'm making back to those who inspired this game, who actually make this game exciting and who cannot afford to be here for this tournament.