Laurie Anderson is one of America’s most reknowned – and daring – creative pioneers. Known primarily for her multimedia presentations, she has cast herself in roles as varied as visual artist, composer, poet, photographer, filmmaker, electronics whiz, vocalist, and instrumentalist. Her seemingly boundless oeuvre includes the creation of books, albums, and performances that incorporate film, slides, recorded audio, live music, and spoken word. ​

Anderson has long been recognized as a groundbreaking leader in the use of technology in the arts and has developed new musical instruments, including the tape bow violin, in which the bow has been replaced with magnetic audiotape and the bridge with a reader. She was one of MASS MoCA’s first artists-in-residence and has returned to the museum many times to develop and discuss works-in-progress.

In The Robert W. Wilson Building (B6), Anderson invites viewers to explore a multi-functional constellation of galleries and installations including works that explore AI, a look back at past proposals and performance images, and her ongoing exploration of the many ways in which we can tell stories. Please note that Chalkroom and To the Moon virtual reality experiences have been retired.

Further Reading
Interview with Laurie Anderson, f news Magazine, April 2006

Download a PDF of the exhibition guide here.

Principal exhibition support is provided by the Sakana Foundation. Major support for the virtual reality installation with Hsin-Chien Huang is provided by the Rainbow Initiative – Funds for Collaborative Cultural Projects by the Ministry of Culture, Taiwan, and National Chengchi University, Taiwan. Additional support is provided by Bowers & Wilkins.

Laurie Anderson, The Chalkroom, 2017
Photo: Christin DeFord