The video installation “Pitch Invaders“ assembles rarely seen archival footage from FIFA and the Bundesliga—material recorded by match cameras but almost never included in live broadcasts. These recordings document politically motivated pitch invasions from 1960 to the present day. The selected videos focus both on the intruders and on the interruption of the match, capturing the reactions of football players, coaches, stadium security teams, and the audience.
In contemporary football, major matches are filmed by dozens of cameras, their images shaped in real time by the match director. Some unused material is later employed for replays, for reviewing fouls or goals, or even as evidence in court cases related to pitch invasions. Over the years, broadcasters have been instructed to avoid showing pitch invaders, using techniques such as wide shots or cuts to coaches on the sidelines, carefully selecting camera angles that minimize the intruder’s visibility. Parallel forms of censorship emerge as commercial pressures intensify—such as the ban on players removing their shirts during goal celebrations to ensure sponsor logos remain visible.
Traversing footage from 1974 to today, “Pitch Invaders“ highlights activist interventions against homophobic laws, excessive policing, femicides, and environmental destruction. Among the activists featured are Pussy Riot, Bernardo Franco, and several lesser-known figures, emphasizing the diversity and breadth of protest within and around the football pitch.
Sofia Dona, born 1981, lives and works in Athens and Munich.
