Arena Calcetto is a unique and live installation of six timber towers housing bespoke fussball tables. Originally created for the Australian Pavilion exhibition ‘Formations: New Practices in Australian Architecture’ (Venice Biennale 2012), the installation is touring in Sydney city from 2013-2014. Arena Calcetto creates a temporary and site specific arena where the public can enjoy a competitive game of fussball.

The work presents the extraordinary collaboration of hundreds of individuals, showcasing custom made fussball teams by architects, jewelers, industrial designers, graphic designers and football aficionados. Each table acts as an outdoor gallery for these individual pieces, by displaying two unique fussball teams. Arena Calcetto has been exhibited at Paddington Reservoir Gardens (collateral event for Art & About 2013), Pirrama Park Pyrmont (featured on the point during NYE 2014 celebrations), and will land in its third and final site in the historic district of The Rocks from June - August 2014.

This upcoming exhibition is planned to coincide with the 2014 World Cup, so audiences can play fussball in parallel with live broadcastings of the World Cup matches. Arena Calcetto will instigate a collaboration between participants, local businesses and visitors to The Rocks, with collateral events such as pop-up fussball tournaments, artist talks and a walking tour to visit the towers in four sites including First Fleet Park, George Street, The Rocks Square and Playfair Street. This installation will create a unique and site-specific intervention within the historic harbourside area, combining football, art and interactive public installation during its two month display.

Archrival has over 25 fussball team designs, and showcases new combinations of the teams at each venue. As outdoor public artworks, we need financial support to keep these teams maintained to exhibition quality, and to allow for the creation of new teams by our collaborating artists.