Overview
- Wyland filed a federal lawsuit Monday in Dallas seeking at least $25 million under the Visual Artists Rights Act after crews painted over most of his 1999 mural 'Ocean Life,' which covered about 17,000 square feet on a downtown building.
- The complaint names FIFA, FIFA (Americas), FWC2026 US, Inc., Slate Asset Management and 3PZ Property Company as defendants and alleges the mural was destroyed without notice or written consent from the artist.
- FIFA has denied involvement and directed questions to local organizers, while Slate and the local World Cup organizing committee say they were asked in March to donate the wall for new public art and were told Wyland had been notified, a claim Wyland disputes.
- The painted-over work prompted local outcry and an online petition with thousands of signatures, and organizers say a portion of the mural will be preserved as part of a new World Cup–related installation.
- No court rulings or defendant responses have been reported yet, and the case could clarify how VARA protects long-standing public artworks on private façades when major events repurpose highly visible walls.