What

Taking place at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, this Salon gathers various experts in sports to present their work and engage in panel discussions facilitated by Paola Antonelli, MoMA architecture and Design curator. The guest speakers are Tracie Canada, Gabriel Fontana, Bobbito Garcia, Collette V. Smith and Simon Critchley.

Why

When we become part of a team, we learn to negotiate a number of contrasting conditions — collaboration vs. competition, offense vs. defense, success vs. failure.
A team is distinct from other social bonds as the unifying element is the shared pursuit of a common goal, whether it be winning a World Cup, achieving a scientific breakthrough, or winning an election. Often, however, the relationship between teammates, their leaders, and their supporters extends far beyond the mere pursuit of a goal. A team quickly becomes a microcosm of broader societal phenomena, and issues such as power, gender, race, sexuality, and class come into play. This Salon explores the ways in which they can simultaneously function as mirrors of society and means to change it for the better.

How

How do team sports reinforce societal and gendered norms? In what ways can they instead be used to challenge those norms? What does it mean to be a good team player, within and without sports? How do our experiences as a part of teams impact our subsequent social relations? Should we adopt a more team-centric outlook in our daily lives, prioritizing collective over individual goals?

➔ Watch the talk here.