SIDELINED at Nieuwe Instituut: Rethinking Sport Beyond Winners and Losers
Gabriel Fontana's innovative exhibit, titled SIDELINED: A Space to Rethink Togetherness, is currently on view at Rotterdam's Nieuwe Instituut, running until January 2027. Curated by Amanda Pinatih, the installation is set to be showcased in the Dutch Pavilion at the upcoming 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale and at Concéntrico Festival in Logroño, Spain. The rooftop has been transformed into a public sports venue featuring new team sports—Multiform, Anonymous Allyship, and Fluid Field—that redefine traditional competition. Highlights include a Fluid Foosball Table, a local initiative newspaper, and works by artists like Luca Soudant and Alice Wong addressing sports as a form of activism.
Key facts
- SIDELINED is on view at Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam through January 2027.
- The project was curated by Amanda Pinatih and created by Gabriel Fontana.
- It was previously presented at the Dutch Pavilion during the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale and at Concéntrico Festival in Logroño, Spain.
- The installation includes three alternative team sports: Multiform, Anonymous Allyship, and Fluid Field.
- A Fluid Foosball Table abandons fixed teams.
- The project features contributions from Luca Soudant and Alice Wong.
- Fontana stated: 'Sport is a designed system that shapes both physical and social interactions.'
- The sports bar is a free public space on the museum's rooftop deck.
Entities
Artists
- Gabriel Fontana
- Amanda Pinatih
- Luca Soudant
- Alice Wong
Institutions
- Nieuwe Instituut
- Dutch Pavilion
- Concéntrico Festival
- Venice Architecture Biennale
Locations
- Rotterdam
- Netherlands
- Venice
- Italy
- Logroño
- Spain
- Parque Gallarza
- Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo
- Berlin
- Germany