Laurie Anderson: Chalkroom and Aloft

Please note: Laurie Anderson’s two virtual reality experiences are space-limited so please make an appointment in advance. Reservations can be made up to 30 days in advance.

Laurie Anderson is one of today’s premier multimedia artists, known for her achievements as a visual artist, composer, poet, photographer, filmmaker, vocalist, and instrumentalist, and her innate ability to meld her dynamic practices into new and vibrant forms. Her seemingly boundless oeuvre includes the creation of books, albums, and performances that incorporate film, slides, recorded audio, live music, and spoken word. 

Anderson has long been recognized as a groundbreaking leader in the use of technology in the arts and has developed new musical instruments, including the tape bow violin, in which the bow has been replaced with magnetic audiotape and the bridge with a reader. She was one of MASS MoCA’s first artists-in-residence and has returned to the museum many times to develop and discuss works-in-progress. 

In MASS MoCA’s Building 6, Anderson's multi-functional environment serves as a working studio, audio archive, and exhibition venue, highlighting both her creative process and some of her most unforgettable works.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.

Laurie Anderson, The Chalkroom, 2017. Virtual reality installation with Hsin-Chien Huang. photo: Christin DeFord