One of the most radical concepts contributed to the contemporary art universe by world-renowned choreographer William Forsythe is undoubtedly his “Choreographic Objects” series. Redrawing the boundaries of classical ballet in the 21st century, the artist shifts the viewer’s focus from a passive act of “observing” to an active process of “doing and acting” through these installations.
Hosting a retrospective William Forsythe exhibition from June 6 to August 23, 2026, Museum Voorlinden in the Netherlands invites visitors to think through their bodies rather than their minds and to transform space into movement.
“The Body Is a Thinking Tool”
At the core of William Forsythe’s design philosophy lies a simple yet striking proposition: “The body is a thinking tool.” The artist conceives each object in the Choreographic Objects series not as a mere visual form, but as specific situations and propositions where movement becomes the primary instrument in encountering the artwork.
Spanning across the space of Museum Voorlinden, the installations invite the visitor not only to look at an artwork, but also to join the game to discover how their own body reacts to spatial instructions, balances, and changing conditions. The works take concrete shape through the visitor’s intuitive or methodical participation, stretching, and changes of direction.
Choreographic objects are not finished artworks on their own; they take form at that dynamic moment of contact between body, object, and space, precisely where the experience itself takes place.
Space, Balance, and Mechanism
The iconic works featured in the exhibition curation put the visitor through various physical tests:
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Nowhere and Everywhere at the Same Time (2015): A conceptual course that pushes the limits of spatial navigation and coordination by guiding the body through swinging pendulums within a rhythm.
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Additive Inverse (2007 – in collaboration with Philip Bussmann): An interdisciplinary installation that stretches the relationship between visual perception and bodily orientation.
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The Fact of Matter (2009): A physical experimental arena that interrogates the body’s direct relationship with weight, holding on, and gravity through objects.
Following visual cues and moving forward sometimes reflexively and sometimes with a deeply careful search for balance, there is no set endpoint or “correct result” for the viewer. Every body generates its own choreography from scratch in its contact with the object.
From the Boundaries of Ballet to Contemporary Art Installations
Born in 1949, William Forsythe revolutionized performing arts during his directorships at Ballet Frankfurt (1984–2004) and The Forsythe Company (2005–2015). Over the past 35 years, he has moved beyond the stage, transforming choreographic theories into spatial installations.
This comprehensive exhibition at Museum Voorlinden stands as one of the most powerful proofs of Forsythe taking dance out of the spotlights and surrendering it to the visitor’s own movement dynamics within museum halls. Running until August 23, 2026, the exhibition offers a unique journey for all art lovers who wish to look at their bodily awareness and relationship with space through a different lens.
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Artist: William Forsythe
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Exhibition: Choreographic Objects
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Venue: Museum Voorlinden (Buurtweg 90, Wassenaar, Netherlands)
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Dates: June 6 – August 23, 2026
