Robert Wilson's lecture
During the last day of the Drama festival, on September 7 at 11, American director and artist Robert Wilson gives a lecture on “1 Have You Been Here Before. 2 No This Is the First Time”. The lecture is in English and the event takes place in the conference hall of the Tartu Centre for Creative Industries (Kalevi 17). During the three-hour event, Robert Wilson invites all the participants on a journey to his aesthetic world. Wilson’s career has been exceptionally prolific and his own works are the
main topic of his lecture. Wilson offers an intimate glimpse into his creative process through
photos and stories.
“First, I look around. I see something which has its own rules, structure and story. I look
for contact. When we hear a sound, something completely different to just watching a silent
play happens. I add sound later as an independent element. I work with sound separately. I
turn the lights off in the room and concentrate on what I hear. It is hard to listen if you see
something at the same time, it distracts. The best way to listen is with your eyes closed. Can
I look at something which improves my listening experience – this is a challenge! I do not
give meaning to what I do. This way, everyone can make their own connections. If I started to
interpret, I would take away the possibility of other thoughts arising. I prefer to leave the ends
loose,” Wilson says about listening, watching and making connections in theatre.
Robert Wilson is an experimental director from America who is considered to be one of the
main founders of avant-garde theatre. Having been prevalent on the international theatre scene
since his opera project, the monumental production of Philip Glass’s opera “Einstein on the
Beach” (1976) which is nowadays considered to be part of the history of musical theatre, his
works have influenced the development of contemporary theatre since the end of 1960s.
Robert Wilson is currently preparing a music theatre production in Estonia together with Arvo
Pärt which will premiere in May, 2015 in the Noblessner Valukoda. The organiser on the
Estonian side is Eesti Kontsert.
main topic of his lecture. Wilson offers an intimate glimpse into his creative process through
photos and stories.
“First, I look around. I see something which has its own rules, structure and story. I look
for contact. When we hear a sound, something completely different to just watching a silent
play happens. I add sound later as an independent element. I work with sound separately. I
turn the lights off in the room and concentrate on what I hear. It is hard to listen if you see
something at the same time, it distracts. The best way to listen is with your eyes closed. Can
I look at something which improves my listening experience – this is a challenge! I do not
give meaning to what I do. This way, everyone can make their own connections. If I started to
interpret, I would take away the possibility of other thoughts arising. I prefer to leave the ends
loose,” Wilson says about listening, watching and making connections in theatre.
Robert Wilson is an experimental director from America who is considered to be one of the
main founders of avant-garde theatre. Having been prevalent on the international theatre scene
since his opera project, the monumental production of Philip Glass’s opera “Einstein on the
Beach” (1976) which is nowadays considered to be part of the history of musical theatre, his
works have influenced the development of contemporary theatre since the end of 1960s.
Robert Wilson is currently preparing a music theatre production in Estonia together with Arvo
Pärt which will premiere in May, 2015 in the Noblessner Valukoda. The organiser on the
Estonian side is Eesti Kontsert.
Online registration for the lecture opens on August 4 on the Drama festival homepage
draama.ee
The lecture was made possible thanks to the Cultural Endowment of Estonia and the Embassy
of the United States in Estonia.