Muralist Robert Wyland Files $25 M. Lawsuit Over Dallas Whale Mural Destroyed For World Cup
Muralist and conservationist artist Robert Wyland has filed a $25 million federal lawsuit after his Dallas mural Ocean Life (1999) was painted over in May ahead of World Cup-related activity. The eight-story-high, 17,000-square-foot work—also known as Whaling Wall 82—had been on the building at 505 N Akard Street for about 25 years and depicted endangered humpback whales, dolphins, and other marine life. Filed June 1 in the US District Court’s Dallas division by Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal, the suit alleges violations of the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 (VARA) and names FIFA, building owner Slate Asset Management, and 3PZ Property Company as defendants. Dallas is one of 16 US host cities for matches beginning June 11, and Wyland disputes claims that he granted permission to paint over the mural, while organizers have said a portion would be preserved as a tribute.
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This story was covered in Protests, Lawsuits, and the Art Market’s Secrets