Choreographic Objects Exhibit at the ICA: William Forsythe
| Venue: | ICA: Institute of Contemporary Art |
| Hours: | Hours Vary see below |
| Ages: | Kids, Teens, Adults |
| In/Outdoor: | Indoor |
| Cost: | $$ see below |
| Category: | Exhibits |
The ICA presents an interactive exhibition of obstacle course inspired objects, video installations, and intriguing sculptures designed by the internationally celebrated choreographer William Forsythe.The exhibition features large-scale installations, including several works developed for the ICA.
In the first room, a camera records your movements, then plays them on a giant video screen after muddling them with a wacky, wavy algorithm. The more you move, the more your image gets beautifully distorted. Try dancing or moving in circles across the room with someone. Very cool.
Next up - the rings room. What you'll be greeted with at this artsy obstacle course is a set of instructions. Your challenge: make it from one side of the room to the other by swinging from ring to ring, without touching the floor. This, let us tell you, is way more challenging than it looks, and quite humbling. Even if you can't make it too far - it's fun to watch others try.
In the next 'room', the ceiling has been lowered to 30 inches, and you’re invited to crawl and roll around in a low semi-claustrophobic space. It's interesting how light, perspective and even movement changes at this level.
When you emerge, try your might at opening a stubborn door - persistence and leverage win on this one.
The final room has been filled with swinging pendulums, powered by pneumatic pistons above that pop and hiss overhead, and your job is to bob and weave around the room without bumping into any of them.
Once through the pendulum room - you'll be treated to an atrium with a majestic view of the Harbor. Do yourself and favor and grab a seat and just take it all in. It's a million dollar view any time of day.
Lastly - there is a room next to the with a couple of couches and lots of storybooks. You can also watch videos about the exhibit in a cool descending room that overlooks the water.
There are also two short experimental films on display that showcase Forsythe’s expertise as a dancer and choreographer, as well as a room in which the artist choreographs you with creative movement instructions. These can be viewed over by the elevator - easy to walk right by without noticing, but certainly worth checking out.
About William Forsythe
William Forsythe was born in New York in 1949, and resides in Vermont. Trained in classical ballet in Florida and New York, Forsythe joined the Stuttgart Ballett in 1973 and went on to direct the Ballett Frankfurt for twenty years. He directed the smaller, more specialized Forsythe Company, in Frankfurt and Dresden, from 2005 to 2015.
His Choreographic Objects have been exhibited globally in venues such as Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, the Venice and Sydney Biennales, La Villette/Grande Halle, Paris as part of Festival d’automne, and museums such as Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, Ohio, Museum fur Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt, and Hayward Gallery, London. He has received numerous awards and in 2010 was honored with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Biennale.
| HOURS | ↑ top |
Tuesday + Wednesday, 10 am–5 pm
Thursday + Friday, 10 am–9 pm
Saturday + Sunday, 10 am–5 pm
Closed Mondays, EXCEPT on the following national holidays:
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Patriot's Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Columbus Day.
| COST | ↑ top |
$15 general admission $13 seniors $10 students FREE members and youth 17 and under FREE for all from 5 to 9 pm every Thursday for ICA Free Thursday Nights
| WEBSITE | ↑ top |
www.icaboston.org/exhibitions/william-forsythe-choreographic-objects
| LOCATION | ↑ top |
25 Harbor Shore Drive, Boston, MA, 02210 map
Phone: (617) 478-3100
| TIPS | ↑ top |
- Take your time and meander around - there are a number of cool nooks and open viewing areas (including outside) that are worth discovering.
| RELATED LINKS | ↑ top |
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