Last month, our Heart of LA campus in Westlake/Koreatown hosted the “Multiform” tournament, a groundbreaking experiment that uses dynamic teams and shifting alliances to foster a new form of collaboration. It brings together the best of both worlds of sport and art – the project explores concepts of cooperation, competition, and inclusion.
Heart of LA youth and French artist Gabriel Fontana facilitated and participated in Multiform, which moves beyond competition to teach a powerful lesson in adaptability, shared purpose, and human connection.
Gabriel Fontana is an independent artist-designer who draws on a social design framework. His work proposes to reshape sports to support upcoming societal shifts.
The event was in partnership with Heart of Los Angeles students and leadership, including CEO Tony Brown, Senior Creative Director Nara Hernandez, Athletics Associate Program Director Kristina Wheeler, Chief Program Officer Loren Rubin, Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture and Education, and the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, we witnessed a sport with no fixed teams. Using modular jerseys that change colors, players are forced to switch allegiances mid-game, creating a dynamic experience where teammates and opponents are constantly redefined.
This is more than just play; it’s a new framework for building more cohesive and empathetic communities. It served as a powerful invitation for our youth to lend their voices and creativity to reimagine a more inclusive world through sport and art.
