SECONDARY: Matthew Barney

In his latest ambitious work, Matthew Barney turns his artistic lens on the brutal spectacle of American football, using a 1978 on-field collision between Oakland Raiders' Jack Tatum and an opposing player as the violent centerpiece of this five-channel video installation. This definitive two-volume companion documents the project's evolution from its 2023 Long Island City studio performance to its international presentations across London, Paris, and Los Angeles. Barney continues his signature exploration of mythology and physical transformation through the ritualized violence of professional sports, creating a complex visual narrative that dissects the cultural significance of these moments of impact.

The installation's multi-channel format allows viewers to experience the event from multiple perspectives simultaneously, echoing the fractured nature of memory and trauma surrounding such iconic sporting moments. Those familiar with Barney's Cremaster Cycle will recognize his continued fascination with systems of ritual and transformation, though here he grounds his mythological approach in the very real violence of American cultural touchstones. This work will resonate most strongly with contemporary art enthusiasts interested in performance documentation and viewers drawn to critical examinations of sports culture's darker undercurrents, offering a visceral meditation on how singular moments of impact ripple through collective consciousness.