Installation view, Etel Adnan: Light’s New Measure, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, October 8, 2021–January 10, 2022. Photo: David Heald

An Evening of Poetry for Etel Adnan on January 10 — Tickets on Sale Now

Etel Adnan: Light’s New Measure
Through January 10, 2022

Etel Adnan: Light’s New Measure surveys the work of the late Etel Adnan (1925–2021), a renowned artist, poet, journalist, and novelist. Drawn from her practice since the midcentury, Adnan’s paintings, tapestries, drawings, and accordion-fold paper books occupy the first two ramps of the rotunda. Formed from elemental geometries and luminous planes of color, her works express a profound belief in the human spirit and the beauty of the natural world. Etel Adnan: Light’s New Measure is presented alongside Vasily Kandinsky: Around the Circle, which examines an artist Adnan admired, presenting a conversation on abstraction and spirituality that traverses time and geography.

Also On View

Current exhibitions include Vasily Kandinsky: Around the Circle, a presentation of works by the artist from the museum’s permanent collection and will be accompanied by solo exhibitions of works by Jennie C. Jones and Cecilia Vicuña in Spring 2022. Exhibitions also on view are Gillian Wearing: Wearing Masks, featuring photographs, paintings, sculpture, and video from the artist, and the Thannhauser Collection, showcasing works by artists including Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso.

Public Program

An Evening of Poetry for Etel Adnan
Monday, January 10, 6:30 pm

Marking the closing date of the exhibition Etel Adnan: Light’s New Measure, this evening of poetry brings together a cross-generational cohort of New York poets and writers to offer readings and reflections in honor of the late Etel Adnan (1925–2021). Presented in collaboration with the Academy of American Poets, the evening features participants including Ammiel Alcalay, Omar Berrada, Stephen Motika, Asiya Wadud, and Anne Waldman. Each poet will read selections from Adnan’s writings alongside their own work. Tickets to this program also include a copy of the newly published second edition of Adnan’s Journey to Mount Tamalpais (Litmus Press, 2021), originally published in 1986.

Available for viewing following the program, Etel Adnan: Light’s New Measure presents a survey of Etel Adnan’s work, an artist whose first creative outlet was poetry. The exhibition explores how abstract art and the written word often intersect, profoundly affecting and transforming audiences. In celebration of this notion, the program will also serve as the launch of the Guggenheim’s year-long poetry initiative, with the announcement of the museum’s newly selected Poet-in-Residence.

$35, $30 members, $25 students

Etel Adnan: Light’s New Measure is organized by Katherine Brinson, Daskalopoulos Curator, Contemporary Art, and Lauren Hinkson, Associate Curator, Collections.

Support for Etel Adnan: Light’s New Measure is provided by The Macallan Scotch Whisky; Galerie Lelong & Co.; White Cube; Étant donnés Contemporary Art, a program developed by FACE Foundation and Villa Albertine; the French-American Cultural Foundation; the Kaleta A. Doolin Foundation; Ellen and Alan Meckler; the Barjeel Art Foundation; GALLERIA CONTINUA; William and Agnes Peelle Jr.; Nicoletta Fiorucci Russo, London; Mr. and Mrs. John L. Townsend III; Karen E. Wagner and David L. Caplan; and those who wish to remain anonymous.

Additional funding is provided by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum’s International Director’s Council and Middle Eastern Circle.

Visitor Information

Admission: Adults $25, students/seniors (65+) $18, members and children under 12 free. Open Thursdays through Mondays from 11 am to 6 pm. Pay What You Wish hours are Saturdays from 4 to 6 pm, with free admission on Saturday on the House, offered once each month. Timed tickets are required and available at guggenheim.org/tickets. Explore the Guggenheim with our free Digital Guide, a part of the Bloomberg Connects app. Find it in the Apple App Store or in the Google Play Store.

The Guggenheim is implementing health and safety measures in consideration of visitors and employees and in compliance with New York State and City guidelines. Face masks are mandatory inside the museum for anyone over the age of two. New requirements should be reviewed in advance of a visit; they are posted on COVID-19 Safety Measures: What to Expect When Visiting.

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