American artist Jon Winet often uses new media to comment on contemporary media culture. He's previously immersed himself in the realms of soap operas and political campaigns, in collaboration with Margaret Crane, and in his newest endeavor he takes on the mega media spectacle that is the World Cup. 'Goal 2006' leverages the international attention directed at this sporting event to raise awareness of deeper issues related to globalization. The project takes many forms, including a multilingual website, an SMS/MMS project, and an exhibition to be held June 26-July 5, at Stuttgart, Germany's Rocker 33|Dialekt. The website revolves around 'a virtual football card in 64 versions, featuring updates and RSS media feeds for the participating FIFA countries, original video, audio and photography, and field reports worldwide.' The site successfully mimics the rich, celebratory design style of any other sports page, but each player's card is accompanied by reports of environmental and social challenges specific to that locale, as a result of globalization. The SMS/MMS project allows for phone-based daily downloads and rich text messages with similar information. The sign-up page for this service refers to it as 'media research,' thus implicating Winet's audience in his broader study of the products and processes of media consumption. - Marisa Olson
