World-renowned, Forsythe is counted among the most important choreographers of our time. For over four decades he has created productions that redefine the vocabulary of classical ballet and his innovative approach to choreography, staging, lighting and dance analysis has influenced countless choreographers and artists. Since the 90s, parallel to his theatrical productions, Forsythe has developed installations, sculptures and films that he calls Choreographic Objects. Blurring the lines between performance, sculpture and installation, his choreographic objects invite the viewer to engage with the core ideas of the choreography. These interactive, site-responsive works are designed to stimulate visitor movement through interactions with kinetic sculptures, video projections, and architectural environments.
The exhibition features large-scale installations, including several works developed for the ICA. Through the artist's instructions for action posted on the wall alongside the works, visitors are invited to move freely through the performative exhibition and generate an infinite array of individual choreography.
William Forsythe: Choreographic Objects coincides with Forsythe's five-year residency at Boston Ballet, offering audiences an instrumental insight into his pioneering choreographic work across multiple platforms. The exhibition is accompanied by a lavishly illustrated publication featuring writers from the disciplines of dance and art.
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 directed 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 worldwide in venues such as Tate Modern's Turbine Hall, the Venice Biennale and Sydney, The Villette / Grande Halle, Paris part of the 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 he was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Biennale.
