Pioneering Artist Refik Anadol Unveils Groundbreaking Data-Driven Artwork Honoring Leo Messi's Favorite Goal in a Dedicated Christie's Auction for Charity

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MLS Inter Miami CF

Pioneering Artist Refik Anadol Unveils Groundbreaking Data-Driven Artwork Honoring Leo Messi's Favorite Goal in a Dedicated Christie's Auction for Charity

June 11, 2025 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Inter Miami CF News Release


MIAMI - Renowned digital artist Refik Anadol's latest work, Living Memory: Messi - A Goal in Life, was unveiled today, utilizing data-driven artificial intelligence to transform global soccer icon Leo Messi favorite goal - his unforgettable header in the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final - into an ultra-high-definition portal that channels memory itself.

This one-of-a-kind masterpiece pushes the boundaries of what art can be - not just a representation of the past, but an emotional, multisensory transmission of it. The work will be presented in a dedicated Christie's sale that will be open for bidding July 8 - 22, with a corresponding free immersive exhibition at Christie's New York in Rockefeller Center July 12 - 22. Proceeds from the sale will benefit multiple nonprofits, including Inter Miami CF Foundation's global partnership with UNICEF, which supports access to quality education programs in five countries across Latin America and the Caribbean.

"It's an honor to join forces with the Inter Miami Foundation for a good cause - I feel privileged to be able to do so," said Leo Messi. "This project means a lot to me, not only because it recalls a special moment in my career, but also because, thanks to such a unique artist like Refik, it can help improve the lives of others who truly need it."

At the heart of the work is what Refik Anadol calls the "architecture of action." Using an open-source motion-tracking framework, he mapped seventeen points of Messi's body to reconstruct his physical form and kinetic expression. This was layered with biometric voice data, breathing rhythms, heartbeat patterns, and emotional nuances derived from interviews - culminating in a powerful soundscape shaped by Messi's physical and emotional state in that exact moment, setting the emotional tempo of the piece. The result is a dynamic, eight-minute "memory temple," as Anadol describes it - rendered in 16K resolution and presented as a fully immersive experience. Viewers are invited to surrender to the work, forging a visceral connection with Messi and revisiting their own memory of the goal.

"For me, this work is about transforming the data from Messi's favorite goal into living memory - something that we have never done before," said Anadol. "We've taken millions of data points - visuals, sounds, physiological signals - from one of football's most iconic moments and turned them into a pioneering art experience. This isn't about nostalgia. It's about reliving the depth of that split second: what Messi felt, what the crowd felt, and what it meant to the world. This AI Data Sculpture work redefines how we experience memory through art."

"This unique artwork explores the intersection of sport, artificial intelligence, and collective memory - turning data into feeling and memory into architecture," said Ximena Caminos, Cultural Placemaker and Curator of the project. "Anadol transforms Messi's iconic goal into a true time capsule - amplifying a historic moment in football and inviting viewers to not only witness memory, but to step inside it. For nearly a decade, he has been on the forefront of creating a new artistic language where memory becomes material, empathy becomes spatial, and art becomes a portal into shared consciousness. It is exciting to witness the expansion of this language into the world of sports."

Living Memory: Messi - A Goal in Life can now be experienced digitally on the Christie's website and will be physically unveiled at Christie's New York from July 12 through July 22, coinciding with the online auction, and Christie's Art+Tech Summit taking place July 16-17 at Radio City Music Hall. The highest bidder will receive the work in its digital form along with a certificate of authenticity co-signed by Messi and Anadol.

Isabella Lauria, Christie's Senior Vice President and Head of 21st Century Evening Sale, said "It is a privilege to work alongside once-in-a-generation talents Messi and Anadol to both celebrate their achievements and present an innovative, memorable, moving masterpiece of creativity at auction for a good cause. Christie's prides itself on working with exceptional objects and with passionate collectors and creators, and this project is the ultimate example. We are so proud of the role we have played in this incredible collaboration and look forward to welcoming the public to a free, immersive exhibition of this work at Rockefeller Center in July."

Living Memory: Messi - A Goal in Life bridges humanity and technology and is a powerful demonstration of what becomes possible when creativity and innovation unite in service of the greater good. Anadol's digital art practice has historically broken boundaries and established new precedents in contemporary art auctions, notably with the 2022 sale of Living Architecture: Casa Batlló realizing $1.4 million, among the artist's top three prices.

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