Guggenheim Spotlights Zidane, a 21st century portrait

Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno’s film portrait of soccer star Zinédine Zidane to be publicly exhibited at the Guggenheim for the first time on the 20th anniversary of its creation

The Guggenheim New York presents Collection in Focus : Zidane, a 21st century portrait (2006), a film centered on French soccer star Zinédine Zidane by Douglas Gordon (b. 1966, Glasgow) and Philippe Parreno (b. 1964, Oran, Algeria). It will be shown on the occasion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted in North America, with matches in the New York metropolitan area. Timed to coincide with both the tournament and the twentieth anniversary of the work, this is the first time since its acquisition in 2006 that the two-channel video projection will be publicly shown at the Guggenheim. On view in the Peter B. Lewis Theater, the ninety-minute piece will be screened on a continuous loop during one of the most widely shared cultural moments of the summer.

Zidane, a 21st century portrait follows the soccer player in real time over the course of a single match, which took place on April 23, 2005, at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid. Assembled from footage shot by seventeen synchronized cameras placed throughout the stadium, the film captures Zidane from multiple vantage points, both up close and at a distance, remaining fixed on him even as the central action of the match shifts elsewhere.

“Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno’s remarkable video installation plunges visitors into the world of the soccer player, lending insight into the psychology and the physical experience of an athlete in action,” says curator Nat Trotman. “Unlike a conventional broadcast that tracks the movement of the soccer ball, here the artists focus on a single individual, immersing viewers in a complex yet intimate portrayal of skill, celebrity, and sheer force of will. Zidane, a 21st century portrait is a key work in the Guggenheim’s robust collection of video and time-based media, and we are proud to bring it to our audiences this summer.”

This video projection—one of seventeen unique versions of the work—introduces a further layer to the viewing experience. While one large projection displays the theatrical version of Gordon and Parreno’s film, a second screen features raw footage from one of the seventeen cameras. At moments, the two streams synchronize, presenting the same image. This doubling, a recurrent feature in Gordon’s work, echoes the mass dissemination of the contemporary celebrity-hero and the role of collective memory in shaping iconic images from popular culture. By splicing in footage from the live television broadcast, Gordon and Parreno continue to challenge viewers’ perception of spectacle and modern celebrity. Connecting back to the history of portraiture, Gordon and Parreno reference artists such as Francisco de Goya and Diego Velázquez, as well as the more immediate precursor of Andy Warhol’s real-time film portraits.

The exhibition also reflects the Guggenheim’s longstanding relationship with both artists, whose works are represented in the museum’s collection. Gordon’s practice frequently draws on images from popular culture, repurposing them to create uncanny effects through repetition, temporal distortion, and doubling. Parreno’s work, by contrast, often centers on immersive environments and dreamlike atmospheres, and is shaped by an ongoing commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration. Gordon and Parreno have previously participated independently in Guggenheim exhibitions, including theanyspacewhatever in 2008–09, and Zidane, a 21st century portrait remains one of their most resonant joint projects.

Zidane, a 21st century portrait is part of Collection in Focus, an exhibition series highlighting key works from the Guggenheim’s holdings. This presentation marks the sixth installment in the series, which aims to make the museum’s world-renowned holdings more accessible to the public while providing new insights into significant works, artists, and artistic movements. This iteration centers on a single work whose cultural and emotional force resonates with the global impact of the FIFA World Cup.

The exhibition is organized by Nat Trotman, Curator, Performance and Media.

Support

Visionary support for Collection in Focus is provided by Aleksandra Janke and Andrew McCormack, with additional funding provided by The Achelis and Bodman Foundation andLaura Clifford .

About the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation was established in 1937 and is dedicated to promoting the understanding and appreciation of modern and contemporary art through exhibitions, education programs, research initiatives, and publications. The international constellation of museums includes the Guggenheim New York; the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice; the Guggenheim Bilbao; and the future Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. A “temple of spirit” where radical art and architecture meet, the Guggenheim New York is among a group of eight Frank Lloyd Wright structures in the United States designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. To learn more about the Guggenheim New York and the Guggenheim’s activities around the world, visit guggenheim.org.

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