May 16, 2022
San Francisco, May 16, 2022 —This summer the Asian Art Museum presents contemporary composer, cellist, and vocalist Theresa Wong. As the inaugural artist in the museum’s new Sound/scapes program, Bay Area-based Wong spent months researching the museum’s collections and upcoming exhibitions, speaking with curators, and exploring the ebb and flow of feeling in the galleries. The result is a performance in three parts debuting original music that reflects Wong’s deep engagement with the museum, its art, history, and her own heritage as a Chinese American.
Featuring composed music alongside improvisation, each of Wong’s three Sound/scapes performances at the Asian Art Museum will be unique. Wong is renowned for her experimental approach, one that responds to the interaction of the audience in attendance with the performer herself. The result is both a site- and moment-specific artwork. Performances take place in and around the museum’s galleries on Thursday evenings this summer, from 6pm to 7pm on June 16, July 14, and August 18. They are free with admission.
“Sound/scapes opens new channels for our audiences to respond to, and share in, the many different modes of contemporary art.” says Abby Chen, Head of Contemporary Art at the museum.
“Theresa is recognized for her evocative, immersive, but accessible, style. She is an ideal artist to introduce the Sound/scapes program to our audiences—her boundary-breaking curiosity, imagination, and ability to draw parallels between visual art and performance show how even our oldest artworks can inspire new ways of thinking,” says Janet Oh, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art & Programs at the museum and the organizer of Sound/scapes.
Wong’s recent and upcoming collaborations and performances include: San Francisco Girls Chorus, The Lab, Mills College, CAAM, McEvoy Foundation for the Arts, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Bayview Opera House, Barbican Centre (London), BAMPFA, Center for New Music, and Del Sol String Quartet. In 2018, Wong founded fo’c’sle, a record label dedicated to adventurous music from the Bay Area and beyond. Her work, “Harbors,” co-composed with Long String Instrument inventor Ellen Fullman, was chosen as one of Wire’s top 50 releases of 2020.
The Sound/scapes program is an ongoing engagement with the contemporary art world that brings performing artists into dialogue with art from across cultures and times. Every site-specific edition features new and original work from a different artist or ensemble of performers, ranging from dance, to music, to multimedia.
Following Wong, the next iteration of Sound/scapes is planned for 2023.
About the Asian Art Museum
Located in the heart of San Francisco, the museum is home to one of the world’s finest collections of Asian art, with more than 18,000 awe-inspiring artworks ranging from ancient jades and ceramics to contemporary video installations. Dynamic special exhibitions, cultural celebrations and public programs for all ages provide rich art experiences that unlock the past and spark questions about the future.
Information: 415.581.3500 or www.asianart.org
Location: 200 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Hours: Thursdays: 1 p.m.–8 p.m.; Fridays–Mondays: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Closed Tuesdays, Wednesdays, as well as New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Museum Admission: Free for members, essential workers, SFUSD students, children 12 and under, and active-duty military. $15 for adults and $10 for ages 65 & over, ages 13 to 17), and college students (with ID). Thursday nights (after 5 p.m.) $10 for adults and $8 for ages 65 & over, ages 13 to 17), and college students (with ID).
Access: The Asian Art Museum is wheelchair accessible. For more information regarding access: 415.581.3598; TDD: 415.861.2035.
Never miss a moment: @AsianArtMuseum
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