WILLIAM KENTRIDGE | Performance | The Great Yes, The Great No |Grand Theatre de Luxembourg

The exhibition "Bells and Cannons. Contemporary Art in the Face of Militarisation" is held at the Contemporary Art Centre in Vilnius. It is a group show that reflects on the role of contemporary art in an era marked by geopolitical tensions, armed conflicts, and growing militarisation. The title itself refers to a historical and symbolic transformation—the melting of church bells into cannons—a gesture that embodies the shift from communication and spirituality to violence and war. Curated by Virginija Januškevičiūtė and Valentinas Klimašauskas, the exhibition is part of the international project Aspects of Presence, which also involves the Akademie der Künste in Berlin and the Goethe-Institut in Lithuania. The show brings together works by artists from various countries who, through diverse artistic languages, explore the complex relationships between technology, resources, media, and military power—raising questions about how these elements can be used for both civilian purposes and destructive ends. Within this context, the work of Tobias Zielony finds a natural place. His participation confirms the curators’ interest in artists who critically and sensitively examine the social, cultural, and political dynamics of our time. The exhibition unfolds through installations, videos, performances, and text-based works, offering visitors an immersive and multifaceted experience that encourages reflection on how art can take a stand in the face of contemporary conflicts, document reality, and propose alternative visions.

• CAC - Contemporary Art Centre
• Vokiečių g. 2, Vilnius, 01130 Vilniaus m. sav.
• 16 ottobre 2025 – 3 marzo 2026

The group exhibition "Moby Dick – The Whale. The Story of a Myth from Antiquity to Contemporary Art" is on display at the Palazzo Ducale in Genoa. Curated by Ilaria Bonacossa and Marina Avia Estrada, the exhibition explores the multiple interpretations of Herman Melville’s famous novel, from the conflict between man and nature to philosophical reflections on revenge and fate. Within the exhibition, Marzia Migliora presents an interactive diorama made with paper cutouts from children’s magazines, evoking the exploitation of the seas and the myth of Moby Dick. The work, which can be operated by the public, allows viewers to stop or rotate the diorama, symbolizing humanity’s role in shaping the fate of the ocean. The exhibition is enriched by video installations, sculptures, photographs, and sound works, offering an immersive experience that spans different eras and artistic languages.

• Palazzo Ducale, Genova
• Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, 9, 16123 Genova
• 12 ottobre 2025 – 15 febbraio 2026

The solo exhibition Touching the Essential by Wolfgang Laib is on view at Kunsthaus Zürich from October 3, 2025, to October 2, 2026, as part of the ReCollect! series. The German artist, renowned for his minimalist works made from natural materials such as pollen, beeswax, milk, rice, and stone, personally curated the exhibition, creating a dialogue between about 50 of his pieces and around 30 masterpieces from the museum’s permanent collection, spanning from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Among Laib’s works on display are large pollen installations, stone sculptures shaped like eggs called Brahmanda, walk-in beeswax rooms, rice houses, a lacquered staircase, as well as photographs and drawings that reflect his deep exploration of spirituality, meditation, and the relationship with nature.

• Kunsthaus Zürich
• Heimpl. 1/5, 8001 Zürich
• 3 ottobre 2025 – 4 ottobre 2026

From October 25 to 26, 2025, the Grand Théâtre in Luxembourg will host The Great Yes, The Great No, the latest musical work by South African artist William Kentridge. This production, which blends theater, oratorio, and chamber opera, was created in collaboration with co-director and choral composer Nhlanhla Mahlangu, co-director Phala Ookeditse Phala, and dramaturge Mwenya Kabwe. The opera is inspired by a historic 1941 journey from Marseille to Martinique aboard the ship Capitaine Paul Lemerle, which carried refugees and intellectuals such as Anna Seghers, Claude Lévi-Strauss, and André Breton. Within the opera, Captain Charon, a figure from Greek mythology, guides the audience through this narrative, accompanied by a seven-member choir. The characters are represented through cardboard masks and projections of a miniature ship model, while the libretto includes writings by authors such as Bertolt Brecht, Anna Akhmatova, Wislawa Szymborska, Marina Tsvetaeva, and others. The opera will be performed in eight languages: English, French, isiSwati, isiZulu, isiXhosa, Setswana, Xitsonga, and Sepedi, with subtitles in German and English.

• Grand Theatre de Luxembourg
• 1 Bd Robert Schuman, 2525 Ville-Haute Luxembourg
• 25 – 26 ottobre 2025

From October 16 to 18, 2025, the Haus der Berliner Festspiele will host the Berlin premiere of The Great Yes, The Great No, the latest musical work by the renowned South African artist William Kentridge. This production, which blends theater, oratorio, and chamber opera, was created in collaboration with co-director and choral composer Nhlanhla Mahlangu, co-director Phala Ookeditse Phala, and dramaturge Mwenya Kabwe. The opera is inspired by a historic 1941 journey from Marseille to Martinique aboard the ship Capitaine Paul Lemerle, which carried refugees and intellectuals such as Anna Seghers, Claude Lévi-Strauss, and André Breton. Within the opera, Captain Charon, a figure from Greek mythology, guides the audience through this narrative, accompanied by a seven-member choir. The characters are represented through cardboard masks and projections of a miniature ship model, while the libretto includes writings by authors such as Bertolt Brecht, Anna Akhmatova, Wislawa Szymborska, Marina Tsvetaeva, and others. The opera will be performed in eight languages: English, French, isiSwati, isiZulu, isiXhosa, Setswana, Xitsonga, and Sepedi, with subtitles in German and English. In addition to the performances, on October 18 at 5:30 PM, there will be a free screening of Kentridge’s Slade Lecture No. 6 film, titled In Defence of Optimism, recorded at the University of Oxford in 2024.

• Haus der Berliner Festspiele
• Schaperstraße 24, 10719 Berlin, Germany
• 16 – 18 ottobre 2025

At Powerhouse Arts in Brooklyn, from October 8 to 11, 2025, the U.S. premiere of Sibyl, a multimedia work by the renowned South African artist William Kentridge, will take place. The event is part of the inaugural Powerhouse: International festival, curated by David Binder, which presents a series of innovative artistic performances across various venues in Brooklyn. Sibyl is a two-part production: the first part, The Moment Has Gone, is an animated film accompanied by an original piano score by Kyle Shepherd and a male choir directed by Nhlanhla Mahlangu; the second part, Waiting for the Sibyl, is a chamber opera that reinterprets the Greek myth of the Sibyl through ten singers and dancers performing against hand-painted backgrounds, ink projections, collages, and shadow play. The work explores universal themes such as the human desire to know the future and the forces that obscure it, combining visual arts, music, and dance into an immersive experience. The production received the 2023 Olivier Award for Outstanding Contribution to Opera. The performance takes place in the historic Grand Hall of Powerhouse Arts, a former industrial facility transformed into a cultural space, offering the audience a multisensory experience that explores the intersection of visual art, music, and contemporary theater.

• Powerhouse Arts
• 322 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215, USA
• 8 – 11 ottobre 2025