Björk has never been the type of artist to attract ambivalence. Through fascinating performances and a musical style that transcends the industry, she is one of those rare artists who is truly in a league of her own. The complicated performer sends her fans into fantastical worlds with every new album and performance, making a retrospective a fascinating opportunity to experience her multifaceted work in new ways. Running through to June 7, The Museum of Modern Art’s newest exhibit explores over 20 years of Björk’s daring career, using a “theatrical presentation, an immersive sound experience, a focused audio guide, and related visualizations—from photography and music videos to new media works.”
The retrospective moves chronologically through the Icelandic artist’s career, beginning in 1993 with her first major studio album, Debut, and ending with her newest record Vulnicura (which she was forced to release on her website months before schedule due to an online leak). A brand new video and sound installation called Black Lake were commissioned specifically for the exhibit, which uses the song of the same name found on the new record—the trailer for the installation can be seen above.
“An uncompromisingly original and highly accomplished auteur and solo artist in her composing, singing, and music, Björk is notably open to collaboration and interpretation of her work, extending even into education and audience participation,” says Klaus Biesenbach, Chief Curator at Large at MoMA and Director of MoMA. “Over the decades she has also developed a highly collaborative practice to visualize and express her music and lyrics. Working with photographers, film- and video-makers, designers, architects, craftsmen, and inventors, she crosses over into all categories of high and low culture, digital and analog, into most creative fields.”
