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US artist sues FIFA over destruction of Dallas whale mural for World Cup

From Al Jazeera · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • A U.S. artist is suing FIFA for $25 million, alleging his whale mural in Dallas was illegally painted over to promote the World Cup.
  • The artist, Robert Wyland, claims the destruction of his "Whaling Wall 82" violated a federal law protecting public art.
  • FIFA denies involvement, referring inquiries to the local organizing committee, which stated a portion of the mural would be preserved.

Artist Robert Wyland has filed a $25 million lawsuit against FIFA and other defendants, accusing them of illegally destroying his prominent whale mural in Dallas to promote the upcoming World Cup 2026 matches. The sprawling artwork, known as "Whaling Wall 82," covered approximately 1,700 square meters across two walls of a building in downtown Dallas.

hastily and irrevocably destroyed a civic landmark

— artist's lawsuitDescribing the impact of painting over the mural.

Wyland, who painted the mural by hand nearly three decades ago, asserts that the actions of World Cup organizers, the building's owner, and its management company violated the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990. This federal law protects artists from the destruction of their publicly displayed works. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Dallas, states that the mural was "hastily and irrevocably destroyed a civic landmark" without Wyland's consent or notification.

FIFA has distanced itself from the incident, with a spokesperson telling The Associated Press that the federation "has no involvement in this whatsoever" and directed inquiries to the local organizing committee. However, the committee stated that new artwork is planned for the site, aiming to "capture this current historical moment and reflect the energy, unity, and global spirit surrounding the World Cup 2026." They also indicated that a portion of Wyland's mural would be preserved.

has no involvement in this whatsoever

— FIFA spokespersonResponding to the lawsuit and allegations.

The management company for the building, Slate Asset Management, claimed that local World Cup organizers requested the wall space in March for a new art installation. They stated they were not compensated and were informed that Wyland had been notified of the plans. The mural's destruction last month sparked an outcry among residents who cherished the artwork for its scale and its message of ocean conservation.

Slate is not being compensated in any way for the use of the wall space and was told by the local groups that Mr. Wyland had been notified

— Slate Asset Management spokespersonExplaining the building management's perspective on the mural's removal.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Al Jazeera. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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