Opening Events, Press Hour, Panel Discussions, and More for New Spring Exhibitions at Wexner Center

The Wexner Center’s spring exhibitions open April 1 and 2, each with related events that week (see schedule, below). The exhibitions, on view to the public April 2–July 26, 2009, are: Catch Air: Robin Rhode, the first substantial solo  show in a U.S. museum by the South African artist (the survey will include a site-specific work created for the Wex); William Forsythe: Transfigurations, the largest grouping of video and installation works by the renowned choreographer, coinciding with the launch of an interactive, cross-disciplinary web project that Forsythe developed at Ohio State; and COOP HIMMELB(L)AU: Beyond the Blue, the only U.S. venue for this stunningly designed exhibition spotlighting four decades of work by this influential architecture firm. Artist Robin Rhode, choreographer William Forsythe, and COOP HIMMELB(L)AU principal Wolf D. Prix will all be at the Wexner Center for the opening.

Wednesday, April 1:

William Forsythe Symposium: Choreographic Objects, a symposium featuring Forsythe, collaborators, and other authorities, 3–5 pm. Admission is free and open to the public. NOTE: The Forsythe gallery only opens at 2 pm for a sneak preview.
Press Hour, 5–6 pm. Symposium participants—including Forsythe—will answer questions about the Forsythe exhibition and web project in an informal group setting (please email rsvpmedia@wexarts.org if you plan to attend).
U.S. premiere performances of Forsythe’s Monster Partitur: 2:30, 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 pm. These 25-minute performances (by dancer Alessio Silvestrin) in the gallery are free, but audience size is limited (especially today, visitors are advised to arrive early to guarantee a spot; the audience will be standing). Additional performances will take place April 2–5.
Spring Exhibitions Opening Celebration, 5–8 pm, for all three shows. Gallery admission applies to the galleries during this  event; if you’re interested in attending, please send an email to rsvpmedia@wexarts.org. Click here for a PDF of the invitation.
Wolf D. Prix Conversation, 6:30 pm (free and open to the public). Prix of COOP HIMMELB(L)AU will be in conversation with the exhibition’s consulting curator, Jeffrey Kipnis.

Thursday, April 2:

First day the exhibitions are open to the public, 11 am–8 pm (this is also a Free Thursday, with free admission to all from 4 to 8 pm).
Performances of Forsythe’s Monster Partitur: 12, 12:30 , and 7 pm. These 25-minute performances (by dancer Alessio Silvestrin) in the gallery are free, but audience size is limited (visitors are advised to arrive early to guarantee a spot; audience will be standing). Additional performances will take place through April 5.
Hybrid Spaces: A Panel featuring Robin Rhode, 4:30 pm. Free and open to the public.

NOTE: A launch event for the Forsythe web project Synchronous Objects for One Flat Thing, reproduced and his Motion Bank initiative will occur in Berlin at Tanzplan Deutschland (Uferstudios – Studio 1, Uferstraße 23) on April 8 at 11 am. To attend that event, please contact Mechthild Rühl at The Forsythe Company: mechthild.ruehl@theforsythecompany.de