Ink Rats
Current Events
Solo exhibition
A Natural History of the Studio
May 1 – August 1, 2025
Hauser & Wirth
22nd Street and 18th Street, New York
Group Exhibition
The True Size of Africa
November 9, 2024 – August 17, 2025
Völklinger Hütte, Völklingen
Group Exhibition
Tuning In – Acoustique de l’émotion
October 3, 2024 – August 25, 2025
Foundation of the International Red
Cross and Red Crescent Museum,
Geneva
Forthcoming Events
Performance
Faustus in Africa!
August 20-23, 2025
Edinburgh International Festival
The Lyceum, Edinburgh
A sporadic record of what happens in the studio, in video, words and images
OPENING TONIGHT IN SPOLETO 📣
“The Great Yes, The Great No”
Teatro Nuovo Gian Carlo Menotti
June 12 & 13, 2025
A chamber opera by William Kentridge, performed as part of the Spoleto Festival dei Due Mondi
Video 1 - Interlude from “The Great Yes, The Great No” featuring the surrealist figure in a skirt
Performed by @chauke_thulani
Video by Dûsko Marović SASC
Video 2 - The evolution of the surrealist figure in a skirt:
Shown first in puppet form, as manipulated by @chauke_thulani in front of a green screen during filming for “Oh To Believe in Another World” (2022) and then performed in costume for the film by the same actor.
Video by Dûsko Marović SASC
“The Great Yes, The Great No”
Creative Team
Concept | Director: William Kentridge
Associate Directors: Nhlanhla Mahlangu | Phala O. Phala
Choral Composer: Nhlanhla Mahlangu
Music Director: Tlale Makhene
Dramaturg: Mwenya Kabwe
Costume Design: Greta Goiris
Set Design: Sabine Theunissen
Lighting Design: Urs Schönebaum | Elena Gui
Projection Editing | Compositing: Žana Marović | Janus Fouché | Joshua Trappler
Cinematography: Duško Marović
Video Control: Kim Gunning
Performed and created by
Performers: Xolisile Bongwana, Hamilton Dhlamini, William Harding, Tony Miyambo, Nancy Nkusi, Neil McCarthy
Dancers: Thulani Chauke & Teresa Phuti Mojela
Chorus: Anathi Conjwa, Asanda Hanabe, Zandile Hlatshwayo, Khokho Madlala, Nokuthula Magubane, Mapule Moloi,Nomathamsanqa Ngoma
Musicians: Marika Hughes (Cello), Nathan Koci (Accordion | Banjo), Tlale Makhene (Percussion), Thandi Ntuli (Piano)
Text excerpts in libretto: Bertolt Brecht, André Breton, Aimé Césaire, Suzanne Césaire, Léon-Gontran Damas, Frantz Fanon and others
Produced by
Produced by THE OFFICE performing arts + film
A project of the Centre for the Less Good Idea
Toured in partnership with Quaternaire
Lead commissioner LUMA Foundation, Arles FRANCE
Co-producers: Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg (LU), Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen (GE), Spoleto Festival Dei Due Mondi (IT)
Rotating drawings for Orfeo
OPENING TONIGHT IN RECKLINGHAUSEN
“The Great Yes, The Great No”
German premiere at Ruhrfestspiele
Ruhrfestspielhaus Großes Haus
June 6 - 8, 2025
A chamber opera by William Kentridge
Creative team
Concept | Director: William Kentridge
Associate Directors: Nhlanhla Mahlangu | Phala O. Phala
Choral Composer: Nhlanhla Mahlangu
Music Director: Tlale Makhene
Dramaturg: Mwenya Kabwe
Costume Design: Greta Goiris
Set Design: Sabine Theunissen
Lighting Design: Urs Schönebaum | Elena Gui
Projection Editing | Compositing: Žana Marović | Janus Fouché | Joshua Trappler
Cinematography: Duško Marović
Video Control: Kim Gunning
Performed and created by
Performers: Xolisile Bongwana, Hamilton Dhlamini, William Harding, Tony Miyambo, Nancy Nkusi, Neil McCarthy
Dancers: Thulani Chauke & Teresa Phuti Mojela
Chorus: Anathi Conjwa, Asanda Hanabe, Zandile Hlatshwayo, Khokho Madlala, Nokuthula Magubane, Mapule Moloi,Nomathamsanqa Ngoma
Musicians: Marika Hughes (Cello), Nathan Koci (Accordion | Banjo), Tlale Makhene (Percussion), Thandi Ntuli (Piano)
Text excerpts in libretto: Bertolt Brecht, André Breton, Aimé Césaire, Suzanne Césaire, Léon-Gontran Damas, Frantz Fanon and others
Produced by
Produced by THE OFFICE performing arts + film
A project of the Centre for the Less Good Idea
Toured in partnership with Quaternaire
Lead commissioner LUMA Foundation, Arles FRANCE
Co-commissioners Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Miami-Dade County USA with lead sponsor support from Adrienne Arsht, CAL Performances, Berkeley USA, Centre D’art Battat, Montreal CA, The Wallis Center for the Performing Arts, Beverly Hills, USA
Foundational commissioning support for the development and creation of The Great Yes, The Great No is provided by Brown Arts Institute at Brown University, USA
“The Great Yes, The Great No” acknowledges the kind assistance of Goodman Gallery, Lia Rumma Gallery and Hauser & Wirth in this project and generous support from The Roy Cockrum Foundation.
Co-producers: Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg (LU), Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen (GE), Spoleto Festival Dei Due Mondi (IT)
Image: Monika Ritterhaus
📣 PERFORMANCE TOMORROW NIGHT IN BERGEN
“OH TO BELIEVE IN ANOTHER WORLD”
A film by William Kentridge for Shostakovich Symphony No. 10
Bergen International Festival
Grieghallen, Bergen
May 24, 2025
19h30
Performed by the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Christian Blex
Saturday 24 May at 18h00 in Spissen. Doors open at 17h30.
Before the concert, there will be an introductory talk about Dmitri Shostakovich’ 10th Symphony and William Kentridge’s “Oh To Believe in Another World”.
The discussion will include the historic and political backdrop for Shostakovich’ music and the composer’s relationship to Sovjet communism’s utopias.
In the panel is Professor Ingunn Lunde, Professor and leader at the Center for Grieg Research Arnulf Christian Mattes, Professor Eirik Vassenden.
Entrance is included in the concert ticket
The talk will be held in Norwegian
Director
William Kentridge
Editors
Janus Fouché, Zana Marović, Joshua Trappler
Costume & Puppet Designer
Greta Goiris
Set and Model Designer
Sabine Theunissen
Cinematographer
Dǔsko Marović SASC
Video Operator
Kim Gunning
Executive Producer
THE OFFICE performing arts + film
Originally commissioned by the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester and made possible through the The Iwona and Bjarne Rieber Charitable Foundation
📣 OPENING TONIGHT IN BERGEN
“The Great Yes, The Great No”
Bergen International Festival
Grieghallen, Bergen
May 21 & 22, 2025
A chamber opera by William Kentridge, performed as part of the Bergen International Festival
Creative team
Concept | Director: William Kentridge
Associate Directors: Nhlanhla Mahlangu | Phala O. Phala
Choral Composer: Nhlanhla Mahlangu
Music Director: Tlale Makhene
Dramaturg: Mwenya Kabwe
Costume Design: Greta Goiris
Set Design: Sabine Theunissen
Lighting Design: Urs Schönebaum | Elena Gui
Projection Editing | Compositing: Žana Marović | Janus Fouché | Joshua Trappler
Cinematography: Duško Marović
Video Control: Kim Gunning
Performed and created by
Performers: Xolisile Bongwana, Hamilton Dhlamini, William Harding, Tony Miyambo, Nancy Nkusi, Neil McCarthy
Dancers: Thulani Chauke & Teresa Phuti Mojela
Chorus: Anathi Conjwa, Asanda Hanabe, Zandile Hlatshwayo, Khokho Madlala, Nokuthula Magubane, Mapule Moloi,Nomathamsanqa Ngoma
Musicians: Marika Hughes (Cello), Nathan Koci (Accordion | Banjo), Tlale Makhene (Percussion), Thandi Ntuli (Piano)
Text excerpts in libretto: Bertolt Brecht, André Breton, Aimé Césaire, Suzanne Césaire, Léon-Gontran Damas, Frantz Fanon and others
Produced by
Produced by THE OFFICE performing arts + film
A project of the Centre for the Less Good Idea
Toured in partnership with Quaternaire
Lead commissioner LUMA Foundation, Arles FRANCE
Co-commissioners Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Miami-Dade County USA with lead sponsor support from Adrienne Arsht, CAL Performances, Berkeley USA, Centre D’art Battat, Montreal CA, The Wallis Center for the Performing Arts, Beverly Hills, USA
Foundational commissioning support for the development and creation of The Great Yes, The Great No is provided by Brown Arts Institute at Brown University, USA
“The Great Yes, The Great No” acknowledges the kind assistance of Goodman Gallery, Lia Rumma Gallery and Hauser & Wirth in this project, and generous support from The Roy Cockrum Foundation.
Co-producers: Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg (LU), Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen (GE), Spoleto Festival Dei Due Mondi (IT)
Images: Monika Ritterhaus
📣 OPENING TONIGHT IN SEOUL
SIBYL
GS Arts Centre, Seoul
May 9 - 10, 2025
Concept and Director
William Kentridge
Music Director / Composer
Kyle Shepherd
Associate Director / Choral Composer
Nhlanhla Mahlangu
Costume Designer
Greta Goiris
Set Designer
Sabine Theunissen
Lighting Design
Urs Schönebaum
Associate Lighting Design
Elena Gui
Sound Engineering
Zach Williamson
Projection Design
Žana Marović
Cinematography
Duško Marović SASC
Photography
Stella Olivier
Created and performed by
Kyle Shepherd (Piano)
Nhlanhla Mahlangu (Vocalist | Dancer)
Xolisile Bongwana (Vocalist | Dancer)
Thulani Chauke (Dancer)
Teresa Phuti Mojela (Dancer)
Thandazile ‘Sonia’ Rabede (Dancer)
Ayanda Nhlangothi (Vocalist)
Zandile Hlatshwayo (Vocalist)
Siphiwe Nkabinde (Vocalist)
S’busiso Shozi (Vocalist)
Technical Direction
Boyd Design
Production Manager
Brendon Boyd
Technical Director
Carly Levin
Stage Manager
Meghan Williams
Costume Supervisor
Mathilde Baillarger
Props Master
Lissy Barnes-Flint
Video Control
Matthew Deinhart
Voice over ‘Starve the Algorithm’
Joanna Dudley
Studio Fabrication & Technical Director
Chris Waldo de Wet
Costume Fabricators
Emmanuelle Erhart, Carlo Di Mascolo, David Engler
Specialist Prop Fabricator
Jonas Lundquist
Scenic Painter
Anaïs Thomas
Studio Assistants
Jacques van Staden, Jessica Jones
Produced by
THE OFFICE performing arts + film
Managing Director
Laurie Cearley
Executive Producer
Elly Obeney
Company Manager
Catherine DeGennaro
Toured in association with Quaternaire
Idiosyncratic lines of enquiry into particular aspects of studio practice or bodies of work
William Kentridge: Creative Machines
William Kentridge puts to use a diversity of ‘creative machines’ in making work. He methodologically rethinks drawing, as an unfinished process, a means of collecting and generating iconography, with the aim of maximizing narrative amplitude that goes beyond the limits of graphic representation by resorting to sound and cinematography.
Stumbling to Utopia
“Why continue with these gestures, with these drawings, these words, in the face of their imminent failure? Because without some idea of utopia, of a rescued world implicit not just in these gestures but in the act of making a drawing, a performance, a speech – without this we feel a gap, a hollow.” WK, 2016
Listening to the Trees
An anecdotal account of the making of the book “Waiting for the Sibyl” and a consideration of Kentridge’s ongoing series of tree drawings, by book designer Oliver Barstow
9 WORDS and one more
Making art is a uniquely human endeavour and an artist, the maker of art, is someone who distills what they feel and think about the world and expresses this visually. This requires one to read, to see, to listen, to feel, to question and be curious; to know, and yet to doubt; to have humility and to be brave.
All so different from what you expected
Things which are obvious in studio practice, like uncertainty, doubt, provisionality, are not about the COVID pandemic. They are themes I have worked on for many years – but these themes in the outside world have become much more present in these months.
Cursive
Cursive is the third set in a series of small bronze glyphs, following “Lexicon” (2017) and “Paragraph II” (2018). The glyphs started as a collection of ink drawings and paper cut-outs, each on a single page from a dictionary.
