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Artist Sues FIFA $25M Over Painted-Over Mural
4 Jun
Summary
- Artist sues FIFA and building owners for $25 million.
- Mural 'Ocean Life' was painted over to make space for World Cup art.
- Lawsuit cites Visual Artists Rights Act for artwork protection.
A muralist is suing FIFA for $25 million after his "Ocean Life" painting in downtown Dallas was covered over ahead of the World Cup. The "Ocean Life" painting by artist Wyland was partially covered with blue paint in May to make space for art commemorating the upcoming World Cup matches in Arlington, Texas.
Wyland is now suing FIFA and the owners of the buildings where "Ocean Life" is displayed, citing the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990. This law grants artists the right to claim authorship of their publicly displayed work and prevents its destruction without consent. The lawsuit claims the building owners allowed the mural to be "intentionally painted over and permanently destroyed" without Wyland's permission.
The "Ocean Life" mural, created in 1999 as part of Wyland's "Whaling Wall" series, originally spanned 17,000 square feet across two building sides. Recent images show the mural's main section is now covered in blue paint, with only a single humpback whale visible. FIFA has stated it has no involvement in the lawsuit, referring inquiries to the host city committee, which declined to comment.
