Soccer Becomes Sculpture
The Hoxton hotel brand has turned the lobbies of its U.S. properties in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland into temporary galleries, showcasing a new installation by artist Jon‑Paul Wheatley. The works reinterpret familiar soccer balls as design objects, blending sport, art and cultural narrative.
A Cross‑Country Pop‑Up
Wheatley, founder of the experimental studio 12 Pentagons, began hand‑crafting footballs in 2020 after a decade of exploring geometry and materiality. His collaborations with FIFA, Adidas, Burberry and other partners have fed into a practice that treats the ball as both functional object and artistic medium.
The exhibition features pieces such as the Double World Cup Ball, The Glitch Ball, Modelo Ball and Air Force 1 Ball, none of which are for sale. Visitors can also engage with The Badly Drawn Ball, an interactive station where guests sketch a soccer ball from memory, adding a personal layer to the collective memory the works aim to evoke.
Running through July 20, 2026, the show invites audiences to contemplate the interplay of sport, design and shared cultural memory within the familiar settings of hotel lobbies.