SARATOGA SPRINGS – Renowned performance artist and practicing Buddhist Laurie Anderson will take part in the Tang Museum’s Dunkerley Dialogues on April 17 – night two of the museum’s three-night “Bardo Now” events.
Anderson first gained widespread attention with her song "O Superman," in the early 1980s. Other major recordings include “Big Science,” “Mister Heartbreak,” “Strange Angels,” and “Home of the Brave,” among others. Major performance pieces include United States I-V, Empty Places, The Nerve Bible, and Songs and Stories for Moby Dick.
Anderson spent time in the early 1970s as an artist-in-residence at the ZBS Foundation’s 33-acre complex on the Hudson River between the villages of Schuylerville and Fort Edward. Anderson met songwriter Lou Reed in the 1990’s and the two were later wed. She released her emotionally moving and highly acclaimed documentary film “Heart of A Dog” in 2015.
The Tang Museum, “Bardo Now,” April 16-18.
Schedule:
- 6 p.m., Tuesday, April 16 - A discussion of George Saunders’ acclaimed novel, "Lincoln in the Bardo."
- 6 p.m., Wednesday, April 17 - A talk with performance artist and practicing Buddhist, Laurie Anderson and Benjamin Bogin, director of the Asian studies program at Skidmore College.
- 6 p.m., Thursday, April 18 - Concert by guitarist, Tashi Dorji and percussionist, Susie Ibarra, performing an experimental duet conceived for this event as a musical Bardo exploration.
Events are free and open to the public and are held in conjunction with the exhibition “The Second Buddha: Master of Time,” which explores the life, legend, and legacy of Padmasambhava, a tantric master who is an iconic figure in Tibetan culture, celebrated as “The Second Buddha” and credited for bringing Buddhism to Tibet. The concept of the bardo is described in “The Tibetan Book of the Dead,” which is attributed to Padmasambhava.
The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College, 815 North Broadway. For more information, call 518-580-8080.
