Leo Messi x Refik Anadol: A Goal in Life

Presented at Christie’s Rockefeller Center, July 2025

For this landmark commission, generative artist Refik Anadol collaborated with Lionel Messi to transform the footballer’s most cherished goal into a living, digital monument. The resulting work, Living Memory: Messi – A Goal in Life, reimagines Messi’s legendary 2009 Champions League Final header using AI trained on match footage, biometric data, and movement tracking.

Part artwork, part memory temple, the installation immerses viewers in Messi’s physical and emotional experience—translating breath, heartbeat, and motion into a sculptural visualization of peak human performance.

Unveiled at Christie’s New York and auctioned online in July 2025, the work raised $1.87 million in support of UNICEF and education programs across Latin America and the Caribbean. The collaboration marked the first time Messi selected a single goal to commemorate, out of more than 800 scored across his career.

Director & Producer: Caroline Maxwell
Cinematographer: Jonathan Chekroune
Assistant Camera: Andreas Roalsvig
Producer Coordinator: Zach Larus
Production Assistant: Jared Gauthier-Snipe
Sound Recordist: William Pawlowski
Editor: Abe Halpert

2024