Asia Art Weekly News Bulletin – ISSUE 24 Week of 21 July 2025
(1) Art and soccer: work recreating Messi’s favorite goal sold for US$1.87 million
A digital artwork by Refik Anadol capturing Lionel Messi’s favourite goal was sold for US$1.87 million to support education programmes through UNICEF and Inter Miami CF Foundation.
(2) Taipei Dangdai Cancels 2026 Edition
The Taipei Dangdai art fair will not take place in 2026 as organisers conduct a strategic review of its future format and direction.
(3) Exhibition of Japanese art at Haneda Airport features a traditional mobile tea room
Haneda Airport’s ‘The Japan Art +’ exhibition showcases traditional and contemporary Japanese art, highlighted by a masterfully crafted tea room built using ancient joinery techniques.
(4) Ministry of Culture announces Taiwan’s lineup for major European arts festivals
Taiwanese artists will showcase performance and technology-based works at major European festivals in Germany and Austria this August and September 2025.
(1) Art and soccer: work recreating Messi’s favorite goal sold for US$1.87 million
(Photo Credit: Refik Anadol, A Goal in Life)
A digital artwork titled A Goal in Life, created by Turkish artist Refik Anadol in collaboration with football legend Lionel Messi, was sold at Christie’s for US$1.87 million. The piece reimagines Messi’s favourite goal, his header in the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final, using artificial intelligence to transform the moment into an immersive experience. Proceeds from the sale will support non-profit organisations, including the Inter Miami CF Foundation and UNICEF, which fund education programmes in five Latin American and Caribbean countries.
To create the artwork, Anadol used advanced technology and biometric data, mapping seventeen points on Messi’s body and incorporating his voice, breath and heartbeat. The result is an eight-minute digital sculpture described as a “temple of memory,” designed to evoke a deep emotional connection between viewers and the iconic goal. The piece blends sport, art and technology to offer a multisensory experience of one of football’s most memorable moments.
The installation was showcased at Christie’s New York during a ten-day public exhibition held alongside the Art and Tech Summit. Thousands of visitors attended, highlighting the global interest in the project. The initiative reflects how sport and art can work together to inspire and support meaningful causes.
News Source: https://www.finestresullarte.info/en/news/art-and-soccer-work-recreating-messi-s-favorite-goal-sold-for-1-87-million
(2) Taipei Dangdai Cancels 2026 Edition
(Photo Credit: Taipei Dangdai, An installation at the 2024 edition)
Organisers of the Taipei Dangdai art fair have announced that there will be no edition in 2026, as the event undergoes a strategic re-evaluation. The review will focus on the fair’s model, timing, scale and format, with the aim of planning future activities. The decision follows a decline in participation, with the number of galleries dropping from over 90 in earlier editions to just 54 this year, and no mega-galleries taking part.
Taipei Dangdai is one of three regional art fairs in Asia overseen by The Art Assembly, alongside Art SG in Singapore and Tokyo Gendai in Yokohama. The fair was launched in 2019 by Magnus Renfrew and received financial backing from UBS. Exhibition consultancy Angus Montgomery Arts, a founding shareholder, has removed Taipei Dangdai from its website, and the Art Assembly’s online presence has also been disabled, raising questions about the fair’s future.
The announcement comes amid broader changes in the art fair landscape, including the cancellation of the ADAA’s Art Show in New York. Despite these setbacks, the company continues to operate other fairs including Art Central in Hong Kong, the India Art Fair, Sydney Contemporary and the Aotearoa Art Fair in Auckland.
News Source: https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/taipei-dangdai-cancels-2026-edition-art-assembly-1234748049/
(3) Exhibition of Japanese art at Haneda Airport features a traditional mobile tea room
(Photo Credit: The Japan Art+)
Art Dash Gallery at Haneda Airport is currently hosting an exhibition called The Japan Art +, which runs until 9 November 2025. Located on the fifth floor of Terminal 1, the gallery showcases a wide range of Japanese art, including Edo-period woodblock prints, modern nihonga paintings and ceramics by emerging artists such as Yuta Omori. Many of the pieces are available for purchase, offering travellers a unique and meaningful souvenir.
A highlight of the exhibition is a traditional mobile tea room built using the ancient Japanese joinery method known as kigumi. This elegant cubic structure is built entirely without a single nail. Crafted by master temple carpenters, the tea room is not just a display piece, regular tea ceremonies will be held inside, allowing visitors to experience Japanese culture in an authentic setting.
In addition to the tea ceremonies, the exhibition will feature cultural events such as ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging. Open from Tuesday to Sunday between 11am and 5pm until 9 November 2025, the exhibition is free to enter and offers a rich cultural experience for anyone passing through the airport.
News Source: https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/news/this-exhibition-of-japanese-art-at-haneda-airport-features-a-traditional-mobile-tea-room-072225
(4) Ministry of Culture announces Taiwan’s lineup for major European arts festivals
(Photo Credit: Ministry of Culture)
Taiwanese performing arts groups will be featured at two major European festivals this August and September 2025, with support from the Ministry of Culture and the Taipei Representative Office in Germany. Kunstfest Weimar in Germany will host Taiwan Fokus II, showcasing five groups including Bulareyaung Dance Company, Riverbed Theatre, Chen Wu-kang, Ivan Liu and Formosa Circus Art.
At the Ars Electronica Festival 2025 in Austria, Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab will present an exhibition titled Polyphony, featuring works by 14 artists and groups. The exhibition will explore themes such as artificial intelligence, sensory technology, sound experimentation and immersive environments, highlighting Taiwan’s strength in both performance and technology-based art.
During a press conference on 18 July 2025, Minister of Culture Li Yuan thanked the artists for promoting Taiwanese creativity abroad and strengthening the country’s cultural identity. Austrian representative Christian Helbig also welcomed the performers and emphasised Austria’s commitment to cultural exchange through music programmes and international institutions.
News Source: https://www.moc.gov.tw/en/News_Content2.aspx?n=467&s=240913
