Turner Prize–winning artist Jeremy Deller has unveiled a grouping of new artworks that will adorn the Arsenal Football Club’s Emirates Stadium in London. Their installation began today, and they are expected to be fully mounted within the coming weeks.
Working in collaboration with typographer David Rudnick and artist Reuben Dangoor, Deller sought to honor Arsenal’s 137-year history while also tweaking its reputation. While Arsenal is typically thought of as an all-male team, Deller has added some women to the mix in his new artworks, and he and his team also sought to focus on a multiracial cast of players that was not limited to white athletes.
Deller, Rudnick, and Dangoor have been working together on the project for nearly a year, having begun conversations about it in April 2022.
“As an Islington resident for more than 20 years, where Emirates Stadium has been my landscape, I’m so proud to have played a part in this project,” Deller said in a statement. “The final artwork is a product of the collaboration and hard work of so many in the Arsenal community and it adds another layer to the rich history of this iconic corner of north London.”
Vinai Venkatesham, CEO of Arsenal, called the project “real celebration of the Arsenal community, designed for and by the Arsenal family.”
Below, a look at five of the artworks that Deller, Rudnick, and Dangoor will debut.