The Metropolitan Museum of Art, with the support of Ministry of Culture, R.O.C. (Taiwan) and Taipei Cultural Center in New York, will present Taiwanese artist Lee Mingwei’s OUR LABYRINTH, a collaborative work with legendary American choreographer Bill T. Jones. It will be performed by New York local artists for three consecutive weeks, starting September 16th. OUR LABYRINTH was commissioned and performed at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum in 2015, and was later presented at Centre Pompidou in 2017. The performance will be live-streamed for a global audience.
After the presentation of SONIC BLOSSOM at The Met in 2015, which was listed one of “the Best in Arts” by the New York Times, Lee Mingwei returns to the New York stage by bringing his reinterpretation of OUR LABYRINTH. OUR LABYRINTH was inspired by Lee Mingwei’s visit to Myanmar and his childhood memories of growing up in Luzhou and Puli. Lee states, “Taipei Fine Art Museum provided a poignant opportunity to create/premier OUR LABYRINTH in 2015. I hope whoever encounters OUR LABYRINTH, for it being in Jakarta, Paris, Berlin, New York or London, the project brings them the experience of being in peace with oneself.”
In addition, Lee particularly mentions that OUR LABYRINTH is an embrace of creation and destruction, and Bill T. Jones’ involvement has enriched and empowered this project. Lee further states that this project “is an offering to those who ever lived on this sacred land known as Mannahatta, as well as to every artist who collectively and unknowingly created The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Spirit House of Mannahatta.”
The Met’s OUR LABYRINTH will be performed and live-streamed on three Wednesdays when the Museum is regularly closed to the public, Watch the performance on YouTube (No login required.)
◆ Performance 1
Wednesday, September 16, 12–4:30 pm(EDT)
The Great Hall
◆ Performance 2
Wednesday, September 23, 12–4:30 pm(EDT)
The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Asian Art
◆ Performance 3
Wednesday, September 30, 12–4:30 pm(EDT)
The Charles Engelhard Court, The American Wing
For more details about OUR LABYRINTH at The Met.
Photo © Taipei Fine Arts Museum