A well-known marine artist is suing FIFA for $25 million after his whale mural in downtown Dallas was painted over to make space for a World Cup advertisement.
Robert Wyland’s mural, titled “Ocean Life,” also known as Whaling Wall 82, has been a staple in the city since 1999, spanning two sides of the Texas Utilities Building. The 17,000-square-foot painting featured bright depictions of life-sized whales and marine life.
However, the longstanding piece of public art was destroyed without Wyland’s knowledge or consent, Wyland claimed in the lawsuit filed Monday.
Wyland is seeking $25 million in damages, and alleges violations of the federal Visual Artists Rights Act, which provides certain rights to artists.
“When a recognized public artwork, a long-standing conservation message, and a familiar Dallas landmark can all be erased without warning because someone else wanted the wall for another purpose, something is wrong,” Wyland said in a statement to NBC 5.
“The people of Dallas lived with this mural. They drove past it, photographed it, remembered it, and made it part of the city’s identity. Standing up for that is a responsibility. The mural is gone, but the message does not have to be.”
The Independent has reached out to Wyland and FIFA for comment.
Defendants in the lawsuit include Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), FIFA (Americas), Inc., FWC2026 US, Inc., 3PZ Property Company, LLC and Slate Asset Management.
The lawsuit seeks to “vindicate Wyland’s rights under the Visual Artists Rights Act, a federal law protecting certain works of visual art from destruction, mutilation, or modification without the artist’s written approval.”
It also claims that the mural was destroyed without notice or consent. Wyland said he was not notified before his mural was painted over blue last month.
A spokesperson for Slate Asset Management told NBC 5 that they were approached by Downtown Dallas Inc. and the North Texas FIFA World Cup organizing committee in March with a request to donate the wall space for a new public art installation.
The spokesperson said that Slate was not compensated for use of the wall and “was told by the local groups that Mr. Wyland had been notified.”
Wyland and his marine conservation non-profit the Wyland Foundation noted in a statement that celebrating the major international sporting event shouldn’t come at the expense of public art.
“This should have been an opportunity to show the world that global sports, public art, and environmental stewardship can stand together,” Wyland said. “Instead, a landmark was painted over. We want to do our part to make sure that what happened here does not become the standard for how public art is treated in cities across America.”
Wyland’s “Whaling Wall” series, a collection of over 100 ocean murals, can be spotted across the U.S. and globally.
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