{"id":1128,"date":"2026-06-03T14:39:53","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T14:39:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1128"},"modified":"2026-06-03T14:39:53","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T14:39:53","slug":"artist-wyland-suing-fifa-others-after-his-dallas-whale-mural-is-painted-over","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1128","title":{"rendered":"Artist Wyland suing FIFA, others after his Dallas whale mural is painted over"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>An artist has filed a $25 million federal lawsuit against FIFA over his whale-filled mural in Dallas being painted over ahead of the 2026 World Cup.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1126\">Standoff with bomb-carrying man enters second day at California bank<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Robert Wyland filed the lawsuit in Texas, naming as defendants the international soccer association, the nonprofit organizing the U.S. portion of the World Cup matches, and the companies that own and operate the building where the mural was displayed.<\/p>\n<p>The eight-story-tall mural \u201cOcean Life\u201d was officially dedicated in 1999, according to the Wyland Foundation website. It is the 82nd mural in a series of 100 \u201cwhaling walls.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Wyland\u2019s lawyers argued in the lawsuit that the defendants \u201chastily and irrevocably destroyed a civic landmark\u201d and \u201cdefaced an historic fixture of the host city.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Most of the mural was painted over in blue by May 18, according to the lawsuit. Work has since ceased on a replacement mural due to a cease-and-desist letter sent days after most of the art was painted over, according to the Dallas Morning News.<\/p>\n<p>The North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee said previously that a new mural was going up in place of \u201cOcean Life\u201d that would \u201ccelebrate and build excitement for the upcoming World Cup 2026,\u201d according to KXAS-TV.<\/p>\n<p>FIFA told ESPN that it \u201chas no involvement in this whatsoever and refers all inquiries on this matter to the [North Texas organizing committee].\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1124\">MAHA tops MAGA in Iowa\u2019s GOP governor\u2019s contest<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Mr. Wyland and his lawyers disagree. The lawsuit cites a quote by FIFA Chief Event Operations Officer Heimo Schirgi, who said in a March release from FIFA that \u201cthis is the first FIFA World Cup that is fully under FIFA\u2019s control.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The plaintiff argues that FIFA \u201cheld out its agents \u2014 including FIFA Americas, FIFA US, and the Committee \u2014 as acting on its behalf and under its control\u201d and that third parties, including the owners and managers of the building where the mural was located, \u201creasonably relied on these representations of authority in their dealings\u201d with FIFA.<\/p>\n<p>Slate Asset Management, which manages the building where the mural was located, told ARTnews magazine that \u201cSlate was approached \u2026 in March 2026 with a request to donate the wall \u2026 for a new public art installation to be completed by a local Dallas artist. Slate \u2026 was told by the local groups that Mr. Wyland had been notified.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Wyland told KDFW-TV that any claim that he or his foundation were made aware ahead of time that \u201cOcean Life\u201d would be painted over is \u201ca lie with a capital L.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The plaintiff also argued that, since \u201cOcean Life\u201d was a singular piece and since he is its sole creator, the painting-over of the mural without notifying him violates the Visual Artist Rights Act. He is seeking at least $25 million in damages and a jury trial.<\/p>\n<p>The FIFA 2026 World Cup is scheduled to run from June 11 through July 19, with matches to be hosted in Canada, Mexico and the United States.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1122\">Dem Mayor Karen Bass tops L.A. primary, faces possible general election showdown with Spencer Pratt<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An artist has filed a $25 million federal lawsuit against FIFA over his whale-filled mural in Dallas being painted over ahead of the 2026 World Cup.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1127,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[121,6],"tags":[705,253,645,870,869],"class_list":["post-1128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national","category-news","tag-2026-world-cup","tag-dallas","tag-fifa","tag-ocean-life","tag-robert-wyland"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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