Dates｜January 31 – March 1, 2026
Venue｜MEM map
Hours｜12:00 – 18:00
Closed | Monday (Open if Monday is a public holiday, closed the following weekday)
Phone | 03-6459-3205
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.
The exhibition also features Wilson’s 2005 video portrait of choreographer and dancer Lucinda Childs, a longtime collaborator and choreographer of Einstein on the Beach. Against an abstract skyline, Childs appears in motionless tension while her recorded voice delivers text from Einstein, evoking images of the beach, bathing suits, and an air-conditioned supermarket. The bed scene is modeled on a sequence originally performed by Childs in the 1976 production, echoing its imagery and language while linking two landmark moments in contemporary performance.
Seen today, these works provide a rare glimpse into the mind of an artist who continually redefined the possibilities of performance and visual art. Their presentation in Tokyo offers a powerful reflection on Wilson’s enduring legacy while resonating with the staging of his theatre work Mary Said at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre in October 2025. Together, these events give Japanese audiences a unique opportunity to encounter the full scope of Wilson’s practice in both visual and performing arts.
By bringing these never-before-exhibited drawings to light, MEM celebrates Robert Wilson’s profound contribution to art and theatre, honoring his legacy as one of the most influential creative forces of our time.
About Robert Wilson (1941–2025)
Robert Wilson was an internationally acclaimed theater director and visual artist whose works spanned theatre, opera, installation, and drawing. Known for his meticulous use of light, movement, and scale, Wilson created a new language for the stage. His collaborations included works with Philip Glass, Tom Waits, Heiner Müller, Marina Abramović, and many others. Simultaneously, his drawings, paintings, and installations have been exhibited in museums worldwide, confirming his role as a singular visionary bridging art and performance.
