Three years ahead of the opening game, the world’ showpiece tournament is to receive its own landmark symbol, the 2006 FIFA World Cup Football Globe. The Globe, designed by architects Buckminster Fuller and constructed by multi-media artist André Heller, is an integral part of the artistic and cultural programme organised by the Federal Government and the 2006 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee (OC) to accompany the tournament. The Football Globe will be stationed at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin until early November. After its debut in the capital, the Globe will embark on tour to all 12 FIFA World Cup Host Cities. The next stop is Frankfurt am Main in time for the group draw on 5 December.
Schily: showcasing the full range of German culture: ‘Several million guests will visit Germany in 2006. The artistic and cultural programme accompanying the finals is intended to show the range and scope of this country’s culture, above and beyond purely football related events,’ Federal Interior Minister Otto Schily told journalists in Berlin today. According to Schilly, many thousands of football fans have already caught FIFA World Cup fever: ‘This wave of enthusiasm should wash over everybody. Even this far ahead, our high quality creative offering is intended to prepare the general public for this major sporting event and our role as hosts. We’re delighted that such an accomplished artist as André Heller has teamed up with us for this purpose.’
The Globe is the first of a number of initiatives starting next year created by the Federal Government and the FIFA World Cup Organising Committee together with André Heller.
Beckenbauer: Football’s place in the arts: ‘We’re overjoyed to be hosting the 2006 FIFA World Cup™, but we’re also committed to laying on more than merely a festival of football or sport,’ commented OC President Franz Beckenbauer, ‘the entire nation should be celebrating with us. Our slogan ‘A Time to Make Friends™’ is our watchword and our guide. Our task is to whet appetites throughout society as we approach this world event. The aim is to reach parts of the community not normally in daily contact with football, and specifically integrate the artistic and cultural world because – and here we come full circle – football has a place in the arts.’
Vienna-based cross-disciplinary artist André Heller, whose novel and surprising creative ideas enlivened the 2006 FIFA World Cup bid presentation, rose to the task. ‘This is a unique challenge, working with the most brilliantly imaginative international team to develop and realise subtle and nonetheless effective cultural projects and events for a mass public,’ commented Heller.
Chancellor Schröder leads launch festival: The Globe will be officially opened tomorrow, exactly 1,000 days before the 2006 FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony, by German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, Federal Interior Minister Otto Schily, FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter and OC President Franz Beckenbauer. A launch event conceived by André Heller also takes place beforehand at the Paul-Lobe-Haus, the seat of Parliament. The programme includes contributions from Thomas Hürlimann, one of Switzerland’s most prominent contemporary writers, and actor Otto Sander. Music and dance will be provided by gospel choir ‘Spirited’ and break dance troupe ‘Flying Steps’.
From 13 September, the 20-metre high sphere is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm. The admission charge is 2 Euros for adults and 1 Euro for young people. Children 10 and under are admitted free of charge. The interior features interactive games, virtual installations and panoramic projector shows. Take the referee’s whistle, meet the stars, test your virtual shooting prowess, feel the roller-coaster emotions of fans all around the world – there is something for everyone in the broad palette of artistic and technically advanced entertainment.
From 8.30 pm in the evening, the Globe hosts a cultural programme examining the various faces of the phenomenon we call football from an artistic perspective. The Berlin programme will be opened this Sunday evening (14 September) at 8.30 pm by Mayor Klaus Wowereit, together with Goethe Institute President Prof. Dr. Jutta Limbach and Tagesspiegel Editor-in-chief Giovanni di Lorenzo.
In just four weeks, the Globe construction team successfully manoeuvred 60 tonnes of steel and 4.8 kilometres of cabling into place. The Globe is lit up at night by 20,000 LEDs, 40 loudspeaker systems provide perfect sound and 40 spotlights and six Moving Lights illuminate the interior. The design precisely mirrors a classic football with 20 hexagonal and 12 pentagonal panels. The project is supported by Deutsche Post World Net logistics subsidiary DHL.
The Berlin-based DFB National Charitable Culture Foundation GmbH is responsible for the administration and funding of the arts and culture programme. The foundation will benefit from 30 million Euros provided by the Federal Government from the sale of specially minted World Cup coins.
This new distinctive symbol of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ can also be viewed on the Internet. For more information about André Heller’s latest creation visit www.FIFAworldcup.com.
For more details contact:
FIFA Fussball-Weltmeisterschaft 2006™
Organisationskomitee Deutschland
Postfach 730191
D-60503 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (69) 2006 0
Fax: +49 (69) 2006 2222
e-mail: media@ok2006.de