The photography that Rui Camilo has assembled for this book of photographs is unified by a strong motif that recurs in every image: football goals, taken over many years.

Away from the business of football, the heightened emotions surrounding tournaments, celebrity hype, trophies, parties, he photographs simple, often improvised goal constructions that have been erected in the most diverse places, even in remote areas, with the desire to play sport together. The fun of football makes one overlook the condition of the pitch and the goals, which reveal a lot about their geographical and social context through their varied design.

The photographer’s position: in front of the goal and without opponents. Camilo is given a repetitive point of view by the choice of motif, which clearly limits his creative freedom. The pictures are presented in the book serially, but also individually, depending on the motif, mood or context. As a result, the viewer is always aware that this is a collection of images that has grown with playful passion over the years on many journeys. It is not a collection of the most bizarre, witty and strange goals; these are goals that Rui Camilo encountered by chance on his travels. Informal football pitches exist all over the world.

The fragmented mosaics of our societies and living spaces often pose great challenges for people: Problems in everyday life become a minor matter on the football pitch. The game around the ball works all over the world, on a large scale and especially on a small one, as Rui Camilo’s photographs show.
The players in Nyksund, Ardmore, New York, Misool or Burnaby more or less know the rules of the game and accept them, no matter what culture, community or religion they feel they belong to. The desire to come together and play football brings people together in places that form an extensive community network all over the world.