LACMA: Lyndon J. Barrois Sr.’s World Cup Ode

LACMA is using the run-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup to foreground a soccer-centered exhibition by Lyndon J. Barrois Sr., an animator and visual-effects artist whose tiny hand-built figures recreate famous moments from the sport. The show, “Fútbol Is Life: Animated Sportraits by Lyndon J. (lacma.org) Barrois, Sr.,” is on view at the Los Angeles museum this weekend, May 15 through May 17, as part of the institution’s current public programming. LACMA says the exhibition celebrates the World Cup’s arrival in Los Angeles this summer, when the city is scheduled to host tournament matches. (www-images.lacma.org) ### What exactly is LACMA showing this weekend? “Fútbol Is Life: Animated Sportraits by Lyndon J. Barrois, Sr.” is a museum exhibition rather than a one-off event, and LACMA lists it as running from February 15 to July 12, 2026, at the Resnick Pavilion. (www-images.lacma.org) Time Out included the show in its current Los Angeles listings and describes it as Barrois’s ode to soccer timed to the World Cup’s approach. Lyndon J. Barrois Sr. builds what LACMA calls “sportraits” — miniature scenes that restage iconic episodes from women’s and men’s soccer. The museum says many of the works in the exhibition have never been shown publicly. ### Why does the work look different from a standard sports exhibition? (lacma.org) Barrois uses chewing gum wrappers as a primary material for one-inch-high sculptures, which LACMA says are strengthened with glue and then painted in detail. The figures are arranged in small vignettes that capture goal celebrations, tackles and other moments from soccer history. Stop-motion is also part of the presentation. LACMA says Barrois animates some of the figures to recreate specific moments in time, shooting and editing the sequences on iPhones. (www-images.lacma.org) ### How much work is in the show, and what stands out? LACMA says the exhibition includes 60 works in total. That group includes more than 40 new vignettes drawn from World Cup matches spanning 95 years, along with renderings of Los Angeles soccer figures including Son Heung-Min of LAFC, Christen Press, formerly of Angel City FC, and Riqui Puig of the LA Galaxy. (lacma.org) The 2018 installation “Fútballet” is another centerpiece. (lacma.org) LACMA says the work assembles 21 iconic scenes on a 50-inch soccer pitch and is being shown at the museum for the first time since its recent acquisition. (www-images.lacma.org) ### How does LACMA connect the show to Los Angeles and the World Cup? Los Angeles is one of the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and Time Out says the city is set to host eight matches in summer 2026. LACMA says the exhibition was organized to mark the tournament’s arrival in Los Angeles. LACMA also places Barrois’s work in a broader sports-and-art program. The museum says the show follows its earlier soccer exhibition tied to the 2014 World Cup and comes as Los Angeles prepares for both the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics. (www-images.lacma.org) ### What will visitors actually find at the museum? The Resnick Pavilion installation includes more than miniature soccer scenes. (www-images.lacma.org) LACMA says visitors will also see life-size sculptures of Marta and Lionel Messi, behind-the-scenes studio footage, and examples of Barrois’s earlier work on horse racing and American football. (timeout.com) Photographs by Harold Edgerton and Eadweard Muybridge from LACMA’s permanent collection are shown alongside “Fútballet.” The museum says those works provide context on motion studies and time-lapse photography. ### When can people go, and what does it cost? (www-images.lacma.org) LACMA’s listing places the exhibition at 5905 Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles. Time Out lists general admission at $25 to $30, with free weekday entry after 3 p.m. for L.A. County residents, and says the museum’s hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The current exhibition is scheduled to remain on view through July 12, 2026, according to LACMA’s backgrounder and Time Out’s event page. (www-images.lacma.org) Visitors looking for this weekend’s showing can find the museum’s ticketing and exhibition details through LACMA’s event listing. (timeout.com)