Herr Nilsson's Gollum Mural in Stockholm Bunker Replaces Ring with Football
Street artist Herr Nilsson has installed a new mural titled "My Precious" inside a decommissioned military bunker in the Stockholm Archipelago, Sweden, in July 2026. The artwork depicts Gollum from J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" crouching over a football instead of the One Ring. The face of Gollum borrows features from FIFA president Gianni Infantino, offering a critique of football's governing body and its influence. The mural is hidden beneath a moss-covered entrance, evoking Middle-earth. The work comments on football's transformation into spectacle, identity, commerce, and politics, serving as a substitute for civic engagement. Herr Nilsson does not directly lecture but uses the substitution of the Ring with a football to highlight modern obsessions.
Key facts
- Herr Nilsson created a mural titled 'My Precious' in a decommissioned military bunker in the Stockholm Archipelago.
- The mural features Gollum from Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings' holding a football instead of the One Ring.
- Gollum's face borrows features from FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
- The artwork was installed in July 2026.
- The entrance is moss-covered, resembling Middle-earth.
- The piece critiques football's governing establishment and its grip on the sport.
- Herr Nilsson replaces the Ring with a football to comment on football's role as spectacle, identity, commerce, and politics.
- The mural is a timely reminder of football's substitution for civic engagement.
Entities
Artists
- Herr Nilsson
Institutions
- FIFA
Locations
- Stockholm Archipelago
- Sweden