Polder Cup

On Saturday, September 4, 2010, hundreds of people gathered in the quintessential Dutch polder landscape of Ottoland for a remarkable art project: the Polder Cup by Spanish artist Maider López. Spread across four improvised football fields — complete with the characteristic Dutch ditches — sixteen teams faced off against each other. But this was no ordinary tournament: players not only had to score goals but also constantly invent new rules and strategies to navigate the waterways. The result? A joyful chaos filled with unexpected twists and hilarious moments.

High above the playful scene, an airplane circled with a photographer on board. The images he captured together formed López’s final artwork — an artistic reflection on the everyday, framed through a collective sporting experience. López is known for her interventions that transform seemingly ordinary situations into meaningful encounters, captured in autonomous photographic works.

Mothership was responsible for project management, community engagement, and execution. The Polder Cup was produced on behalf of the Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art and SKOR. Special thanks to landowner Matthijs Baan, Hans Fortuin, and Dirk van der Borg, mayor of Graafstroom.