The World Cup: A Global Spectacle Beyond the Stadiums

The World Cup is widely celebrated as a monumental event in sports, bringing together diverse teams and fans from around the globe. However, most people experience the tournament through their screens rather than in person. Television remains the primary medium for enjoying the World Cup, with a massive viewership worldwide.

During the last World Cup final in 2022, about 1.5 billion individuals tuned in, making up nearly a fifth of the global population. The current tournament is expected to draw an even larger audience. This emphasizes that the World Cup is not only an in-person event but also a major televised spectacle.

Unique Perspectives on a Global Event

In this year’s World Cup, photographers who are not on the ground at the event have captured fascinating images. Instead of shooting from the sidelines, they photograph the televised broadcasts from their screens, creating distinct and artistic visuals.

Paris-based photographer Bilal Aouffen, for example, photographs his screen through a bag of water, transforming the scenes into new and unique images. These images often present a fleeting and indistinct impression rather than a straightforward capture of the event.

Brazilian artist Gabriel Rolim uses an inventive approach by utilizing a modified Game Boy camera to photograph his television. He then turns these captures into peculiar animations that resemble a pixelated, thermographic memory of watching the World Cup. Similarly, Moroccan photographer Karim Ouakkaha captures emotionally charged moments, such as the Egyptian goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir’s somber defeat, which appears almost as if dissipating on screen.

Artistic Innovations in Photography

Jared Soares, an artist based in Washington, takes a different route by printing televised images in monochrome and altering them physically. He crumples and flattens the printed paper before scanning it again, adding a tactile depth to his black and white images. These convey the highs and lows of public emotions during the matches.

These photographers demonstrate that capturing the World Cup goes beyond traditional methods. By using screens and innovative techniques, they offer fresh and engaging views of the event, connecting visually with audiences worldwide.