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Robert Wilson "Eleven drawings for Einstein on the Beach + Video Portrait of Lucinda Childs"
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Robert Wilson
MEM is honored to present Robert Wilson: Twelve Drawings for Einstein on the Beach, a solo exhibition dedicated to the memory of visionary artist and director Robert Wilson (1941–2025). Marking the 50th anniversary of Einstein on the Beach, this presentation offers the first public exhibition of eleven drawings created in 1975 for Wilson’s groundbreaking theatre work.
In the fall of 1975, Wilson worked in seclusion at Barcelona Point, the Long Island home of his close collaborator and friend Christophe de Menil. There, he produced a remarkable body of drawings that crystallized the visual and conceptual foundations of Einstein on the Beach. Meditations on rhythm, space, and light, these works reveal the private origins of one of the most influential theatre productions of the 20th century.
Premiering in 1976 at the Festival d’Avignon and later presented at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, Einstein on the Beach radically transformed the landscape of contemporary theatre and opera. Dispensing with conventional plot, the production unfolded through shifting images, sound, and movement, forging a new theatrical language that has inspired generations of artists across disciplines.
The eleven drawings on view illustrate Wilson’s singular process of translating abstract concepts into visual form. Each reflects his precise vision of time, space, and gesture, while together they bridge the contemplative solitude of Barcelona Point with the monumental scale of the Avignon and New York premieres.
In the fall of 1975, Wilson worked in seclusion at Barcelona Point, the Long Island home of his close collaborator and friend Christophe de Menil. There, he produced a remarkable body of drawings that crystallized the visual and conceptual foundations of Einstein on the Beach. Meditations on rhythm, space, and light, these works reveal the private origins of one of the most influential theatre productions of the 20th century.
Premiering in 1976 at the Festival d’Avignon and later presented at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, Einstein on the Beach radically transformed the landscape of contemporary theatre and opera. Dispensing with conventional plot, the production unfolded through shifting images, sound, and movement, forging a new theatrical language that has inspired generations of artists across disciplines.
The eleven drawings on view illustrate Wilson’s singular process of translating abstract concepts into visual form. Each reflects his precise vision of time, space, and gesture, while together they bridge the contemplative solitude of Barcelona Point with the monumental scale of the Avignon and New York premieres.
Schedule | Jan 31 (Sat) 2026-Mar 1 (Sun) 2026 Opening Hours Information
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| Fee | Free | ||||
| Website | https://mem-inc.jp/2025/12/05/robertwilson2025-2/ | ||||
| Venue | MEM http://mem-inc.jp/index_e | ||||
| Location | NADiff A/P/A/R/T 3F, 1-18-4 Ebisu Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0013 | ||||
| Access | 6 minute walk from the East exit of Ebisu Station on the JR Yamanote and Saikyo lines. 7 minute walk from exit 1 at Ebisu Station on the Hibiya line. | ||||
| Phone | 03-6459-3205 | ||||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it      |
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