FREE
All advance tickets for this program have been claimed. Don’t worry! We always save a select number of seats for walk-ups, on a first-come, first served basis.Questions? Email Hirshhornexperience@si.edu
Hirshhorn Members, email HMSGdevelopment@si.edu
“[Robert Wilson is] a towering figure in the world of experimental theater and an explorer in the uses of time and space on stage.” —The New York Times
Acclaimed director, designer, performer, artist, and writer Robert Wilson will join Hirshhorn director Melissa Chiu in conversation about his decades-long career of redefining art, design, and the theater experience.
Celebrated as one of the most important living directors and stage designers of this century, Wilson’s productions have decisively shaped the look of theater and opera. Since the late 1960s, Wilson has continuously articulated the force and originality of his vision through his signature use of light, his investigations into the structure of a simple movement, and the classical rigor of his scenic and furniture design. Wilson’s collaborations with leading artists, writers, and musicians—such as his famous 1976 collaboration with composer Philip Glass on Einstein on the Beach—continue to fascinate audiences worldwide.
Wilson’s macabre video Mademoiselle, a tableaux vivant featuring Lady Gaga as a living interpretation of Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres’s Portrait of Mademoiselle Caroline Rivière, was a pivotal work in the Hirshhorn’s 2014 exhibition Days of Endless Time. His work is featured in upcoming solo exhibitions at Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac and Bernier/Eliades Gallery and in a group exhibition Opera as the World at the Centre Pompidou-Metz. His current theatrical productions include The Messiah in Salzburg, Jungle Book in Dusseldorf, and Mary Said What She Said with Isabelle Huppert.
We encourage you to arrive early. Ring Auditorium seating is limited. Any open seats may be released to walk-up visitors 10 minutes before the program.
Schedule
5:30–6:30 pm | Come early to enjoy a happy hour at Dolcezza Café in the Lobby. Drinks for purchase.
6 pm | Doors open to Ring Auditorium.
6:30–7:30 pm | Robert Wilson in conversation with Melissa Chiu