[ 11goals ] - Interview with Laura Herter (www.lauraherterstudio.com)

Hey dear Laura,

“Football through my eyes” - how do you combine our “favorite game” with your work/art?

Two hearts beat in my chest: art and football. After studying art, I realized relatively quickly that football is practically non-existent in the art world. Why? With all its stories, legends, cultures, scandals and heroes - the potential is enormous. My work is intended to create new levels or perspectives from which to view your favorite sport.

2. What 3 things fascinate you about football?

• The mixed audience. No matter where from, no matter how old, whether poor or rich...In the stadium, the head of state meets the kindergarten child - and they talk to each other!
• The chaos of emotions. From pure joy, to hate, tears, confidence and goosebumps
• Juniors who are ready to give everything for their goals

3. Your best football moment so far?

A trip to Superga, Italy. On the trail of AC Turin, whose entire team fell to their death in a plane crash in 1949.

4. What motivates you or how do you motivate yourself?

I am motivated by people who are passionate about a cause and who go their own way undeterred.

5. What was the best decision in your life?

Start a family.

6. What goals are you pursuing?

My goal is to think differently about art and make it accessible to a new audience. Art should not be elitist. I would like people to sit in front of my pictures in the museum with sausage and beer and talk about them.

7. Which footballer fascinates you?

The Canadian Sydney Leroux, who was still training in the 6th month of pregnancy and was back on the field three months after giving birth.

8. What do you miss most in the current situation?

Lightheartedness.

9. Does women's football deserve more recognition? What would have to change? (Compared to other countries; Spain, England, France)

 Women's football obviously deserves more recognition.

What I find particularly serious is the type of attention that women's football is currently receiving. The media and advertising communicates on the basis of pity and I think that is fundamentally wrong. In addition, women are compared with men. In my opinion, another mistake. I cannot accept statements like: “Women are just so slow and play worse.” There has been massive investment in men's football for decades, so it's no wonder it's continuing to develop. Here's what I see here in Switzerland: players have a full-time job and train on the side. And then you compare the level of these players with male professionals. The math simply doesn't add up.

10. If you could change one thing in football: what would it be?

The commercial image that many of them have.

Yes, football has an extremely commercial side - but behind it there is so much culture, passion and countless biographies and stories that are worth telling.

11. Your life without football would be...

...more calm.

 

Thank you, Laura! We look forward to your next works of art. Greetings from Switzerland and stay healthy.

Photographer: Avieta Claessens