Former Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata is set to return to the city this summer, not as a player but as co-curator of an art exhibition. The 34-year-old, who left United after eight years in 2022, will take part in the Manchester International Festival.
Mata will collaborate with Berlin-based artist Hans Ulrich Obrist on 'The Trequartista – Art and Football United', an exhibition that brings together 11 contemporary artists and 11 footballers. The project, developed by writer Josh Willdigg, will culminate in a group show at the 2025 edition of the festival.
“It is fantastic to be returning to Manchester, the city I called home for more than eight years, and to be part of Manchester International Festival for the first time,” Mata said. “I am thrilled to be co-curating ‘The Trequartista – Art and Football United’ with Hans Ulrich Obrist over the next two years, bringing together two of my passions: the worlds of football and art.”
The exhibition kicks off at this year's festival with a world premiere of 'This entry', a new work by artist Tino Sehgal. The piece, made with Mata's involvement, will be presented at the National Football Museum and the Whitworth. Sehgal is known for artworks composed solely using the human body, voice, and social interaction.
The title 'Trequartista' refers to a football playmaker who operates behind the front line but in front of the midfield, literally meaning 'three quarters' in Italian.
