Anderson’s quirky characters and throwback sensibility have brought off-the-wall, ensemble narratives to life.
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Like an art history detective, Mei Mei Rado mines textiles and techniques to reveal cross-cultural Chinese-European liaisons driven by nationalism and a keen interest in design.
Turkish artist Refik Anadol will collaborate with Lionel Messi to create a new AI-generated artwork based on the Argentine soccer player’s favorite goal. Messi will choose from his more than 800 career goals, which span his years with teams including FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain FC, Inter Miami CF, and Argentina’s national team. Messi’s selected goal will be revealed on May 22nd via the Inter Miami CF Foundation’s social media channels. The artwork resulting from his collaboration with Anadol will be unveiled and put up for auction by Christie’s in New York on June 11th. Bidding for the work will close on July 25th.
“Choosing just one goal out of them all is very difficult—each one is special in its own way, and some are really important or bring back incredible memories,” Messi said in a press statement. “But highlighting one as a favorite for the first time, to make this unique project possible, is worth it. There’s a strong purpose behind it, and I’m really happy to be part of it.”
Anadol, a new media artist based in Los Angeles, is well known for his innovative use of digital technology in artwork. His so-called “data paintings” are mesmerizing moving image works created from large data sets converted into visual form by algorithms. One such work, Unsupervised – Machine Hallucinations (2022), was prominently displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in 2022.
Anadol’s collaboration with Messi is part of the A Goal in Life initiative, led by the Inter Miami CF Foundation, with creative direction by Xavier Roca and artistic curation by Ximena Caminos. The artwork will consist of two components: an image of the goal as it happened, and Anadol’s AI-generated interpretation of the moment, created using millions of data points from the event. Messi and Anadol will co-sign the piece. Proceeds from the sale will benefit charitable initiatives, including a partnership between the Inter Miami CF Foundation and UNICEF that supports access to education in five countries across Latin America and the Caribbean.
“It’s an extraordinary honor to join forces with Leo Messi—one of the greatest athletes of our time—on a project that supports nonprofit organizations, including UNICEF, and bridges the emotional legacy of sport with the future of art,” said Anadol. “At Refik Anadol Studio, we’ve always believed in the power of data to tell deeply human stories. Using AI to visualize the memory of Messi’s favorite goal is both a creative and ethical endeavor: to celebrate emotion, memory, and excellence.”
Ann Pellicer, a sculptor recognized in Mexico for her large-scale copper works, has died at 79. Mexico’s culture ministry announced her death on X on May 6th, but did not report the cause.
On May 15th, Mexico City’s MASA Galeria will open an eponymous exhibition of the artist’s work, and shared condolences on Instagram. “Ana was more than an extraordinary artist—she was a brilliant soul whose mind, kindness, creativity, and presence touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing her,” the gallery wrote. “Her grace, sense of humor, and unwavering passion for her work and life will remain in our hearts always.”
Pellicer only gained international attention in recent years, decades after completing her most ambitious work—a set of oversized jewelry sculptures created for the Statue of Liberty. She finished the work in 1986, commemorating the statue’s 100-year anniversary. The giant copper sculptures included a necklace and a pair of earrings. The sculptures were exhibited in 2017 at House of Gaga in Mexico City, drawing overdue attention to her practice.
Purépecha Rattlesnake, 1995
Ana Pellicer
Kasmin
Born in 1946 in Mexico City, Pellicer moved to Santa Clara del Cobre in the region of Michoacán in the 1970s, where she met her late husband, sculptor James Metcalf. The two artists founded an educational center to champion pre-Hispanic copper-smithing techniques and train local artisans, particularly women.
Pellicer’s monumental works for the Statue of Liberty—including Collar de Tejos de Santa Clara, Anillo Liliputense Producto de Exportación, Arracada Plana de Huetamo, La Cadena de Oaxaca, and Prendedor Etrusco Cuanajense (both 1978–86)—were produced in collaboration with the women she trained there.
Throughout her life, Pellicer’s work was largely overshadowed by that of her husband. However, in 2018, Pellicer’s massive 36-foot necklace was included in “Body Armor,” an exhibition at MoMA PS1 in New York. The show helped change perceptions of her work, reframing its political and material themes. In recognition of her work, she received the Gertrudis Bocanegra Medal that same year, awarded to women advancing the development of the state of Michoacán.