Moving Into Space at the National Football Museum is a thought-provoking exhibition featuring the work of leading contemporary West African artists, whose art is inspired by football to explore wider social issues. The exhibition features a wide range of work including painting, sculpture, installation, textiles, and photography.

Today, football is a worldwide phenomenon with over 700 million people watching the 2010 World Cup final. The game has spread to all parts of the globe and in West Africa it is part of the fabric of society, from the street games of children to the large amounts spent on national teams by governments seeking to gain popularity and electoral advantage.

Featured works include Romuald Hazoumè’s Exit Ball which plays on the title’s similarity to ‘exit poll’ to suggest the popular frustration felt at the way distractions such as the World Cup are used by governments to pass unpopular laws while failing to tackle vital issues. Andrew Esiebo and Uche-James Iroha use photographs of African women playing football to challenge the gender stereotypes which have a particular hold both in West African society and in the world of football.

6 July – 31 December 2012
Free admission

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