London- and Berlin-based artist collective Keiken have collaborated with England and Manchester United footballer Ella Toone to create a multi-sensory installation that explores her life both on and off the pitch. The work registers Toone’s reflections on fate, connection, routine and the importance of introspection during transitions in life.

At the heart of this intimate installation is a large-scale, hanging mask, inspired by Toone’s spirit animal, the Shetland pony. A touching coincidence connects this symbol to one of her father’s favourite songs: “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond, which was originally inspired by Jackie Kennedy’s pet Shetland pony, Macaroni. Toone’s father passed away earlier this year, and his memory is gently woven into the work. The song, softly hummed within the soundscape, becomes an emotional thread – a tribute, memory and bond that endures beyond loss. Visitors are invited to step onto a podium and ‘wear’ the mask, entering Toone’s world and experiencing her perspective, through a combination of spatial immersion and sound. 

More than a portrait, The Divine Puppeteer reveals football as a web of interconnections – personal, societal, and spiritual – offering a new way of understanding it as an emotional and collective experience.

Keiken’s artistic practice is guided by the “Invisible Thread Theory” – a concept that imagines all beings and objects as connected by invisible threads charged with emotional, spiritual and social meaning. These strings represent the ever-changing yet enduring ties between people, places, and experiences. Using tools like digital technology, gaming, XR (Extended Reality) and performance, Keiken build speculative worlds that explore the nature and future of consciousness. The collective’s name, Keiken, means "experience" in Japanese, highlighting their focus on emotion, embodiment and relationships.

Image: Keiken x Ella Toone, The Divine Puppeteer, 2025. Courtesy of Keiken