Thanks to all for a wonderful Discover Watermill Day 2017. Love, Bob
Discover Watermill Day 2017 (Photograph © Lovis Ostenrik)
Robert Wilson, The Forest (1988)
Black and White: Luisa Strina presents Robert Wilson’s first exhibition at the gallery in São Paulo
From August 12 through September 9, 2017, an exclusive solo show of Robert Wilson's works on paper and selected video portraits will be on display at the prestigious gallery Luisa Strina in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
"Robert Wilson is one of the rare artists who works across artistic media without being buoyed by one method of making. The process of creation transcends a single medium and instead finds outlet within the archetype of an opera, the architecture of a building, the stains in a watercolor drawing, the design of a chair, the choreography of a dance, the rhythm of a sonnet, or the multiple dynamics revealed in a Video Portrait.
While widely known for creating highly acclaimed theatrical pieces, Robert Wilson’s work is firmly rooted in the fine arts. His drawings, paintings and sculptures have been presented internationally in hundreds of solo and group showings. For Black and White Wilson will be presenting two video portraits and a selection of over 30 works on paper.
WORKS ON PAPER
Robert Wilson’s drawings are about time; the future, the present, the past.
Many of the drawings are about the time when a new or old theatrical production is being studied in advance of the production. They are the concrete or abstract visual representations that will inform what Wilson might or might not see as possible on the stage.The drawings can be specific to what Wilson envisions for that particular act, scene or interlude.
Another set of drawings might be made when the stage work is being physically created within the theater itself. These drawings might be about what Wilson sees or wants to see, or might not want to see on stage during rehearsals. They might be about what is happening that day, the next day, the previous day on the stage itself. The drawings tend to be a record of what the production is, was, or where it might be going.
Another set of drawings might be about the times when reflecting back on a production that has been. They are what Wilson remembers the work to be or wishes it was.
At all times Wilson’s drawings stand alone, independent from his theater. His drawings are works of art and his own theatrical associations are not necessary to speak of, can be a distraction, and as he says might get in the way of seeing clearly.
VIDEO PORTRAITS
The video portraits act as a complete synthesis of all the media in the realm of Wilson’s art making – lighting, costume, make up, choreography, gesture, text, voice, set design, and narrative. The medium is HD video but the form blurs time-based cinematography with the frozen moment of still photography. As in the layering nature of Wilson’s creative process, the video portraits infuse references found in painting, sculpture, design, architecture, dance, theater, photography, television, film and contemporary culture. The final result on the HD monitor resembles a photograph, but on closer inspection reveals Wilson’s highly developed theatrical language."
Noah Khoshbin, Curator
Robert Wilson on stage in Jerusalem and Sibiu
Robert Wilson performs on stage in two productions: Krapp's Last Tape, by Samuel Beckett, and Lecture on Nothing by John Cage. Both shows have not been seen in several months, but will appear this June in short succession: Krapp at the Israel Festival in Jerusalem on June 5 and 6, and Lecture at the Sibiu International Theater Festival in Romania on June 9.
Mikhail Baryshnikov and "Traviata" Lamp in Athens
We are happy to announce that Letter to a Man, Robert Wilson's the latest collaboration with Mikhail Baryshnikov, will be shown this July at the Greek Festival in Athens. The shows will be from July 10 to 13, and more details and tickets can be found here.
Athens audiences and visitors also have the chance to check out Robert Wilson's "La Traviata" chandeliers, which have been installed in the atrium of the Acropolis Museum. The entrance to the atrium is free, and the chandeliers will be on display until October 31. The design is based on set elements from Wilson's production of Verdi's La Traviata, and manufactured by the Italian company SLAMP.
Acropolis Museum (Photos by Julian Mommert)
LA TRAVIATA (Currentzis/Wilson) Wins Three "Golden Masks"
Moscow, April 19, 2017. Robert Wilson's production of La Traviata, conducted by Teodor Currentzis, in its version for the Perm Opera House, has been awarded three "Golden Masks". The production had been nominated in seven categories, and ended up winning in three (Teodor Currentzis as "Best Conductor", Nadezhda Pavlova as "Best Female Singer", and Robert Wilson for "Best Lighting Design"). Congratulations to all and a special Thanks to John Torres, who worked on the Lighting Design with Robert Wilson.
The "Golden Mask" is a prestigious Russian award for works from all theatrical genres, with the goal of "representing a full and objective picture of the Russian theatrical life" once a year. The ceremony was held in the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Music Theater in Moscow.
For more information, click here.
Last Night in Norway
If you run into a troll: Dance! #lastnightinsweden
EDDA in Oslo: First Production Photographs
The first production photos of Jon Fosse and Robert Wilson's new version of the Icelandic epic Edda are here. The work will open on March 4, 2017 at Det Norske Teatret in Oslo, Norway, and play throughout the months of March and April there. Visit their web site for more information and tickets. In October this year, the European Cultural Capital - Aarhus, Denmark - will host six performances of Edda (click here for their web site).
Note on the US Election
I am shocked. Stunned. Worried about the likelihood of a catastrophe. The United States is a conservative nation, and I think it was too much for them to have a black president followed by a woman president. It is unbelievable to me that we have a president-elect who is endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan, who has an open contempt for women, who is homophobic, who is openly hostile to people of color, immigrants, the disabled, and Muslims, who encourages hate and allows it to flourish. His election allows him the possibility to act on this hatred. When necessary, we must find ways to resist him, to protest, and to vote in 2018 and 2020. We must carefully protect the defenseless. It will be a difficult fight, but as US Citizens, we must find ways to resist the divisions between us.
In her diary, Anne Frank wrote "Despite everything, I still believe that people are basically good at heart."
The work remains.
Robert Wilson
Berlin, November 9, 2016