Visionary artist, director and designer Robert Wilson discusses his latest publication, “Chairs” at Guild Hall on Thursday, May 29, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Known for his groundbreaking work in theater and visual arts, Wilson brings his signature perspective to the design and symbolism of chairs — objects that hold more meaning than often realized.
This new book, published by Raisonné and August Editions and edited by Owen Laub with photographs by Martien Mulder, presents a curated selection of chairs created by Wilson, exploring their sculptural presence and theatrical potential. With contributions from leading artists, designers and thinkers, “Chairs” is both an art object and a meditation on form, function and history.
Wilson will be joined in conversation by Adrian Madlener, a design writer, editor and curator known for his expertise in architecture, interiors and collectible design. Together, they will explore the intersection of design, performance and storytelling.
Born in Waco, Texas, Wilson was educated at the University of Texas and Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute, where he took an interest in architecture and design. He studied painting with George McNeil in Paris and later worked with the architect Paolo Solari in Arizona. Moving to New York City in the mid-1960s, Wilson found himself drawn to the work of pioneering choreographers George Balanchine, Merce Cunningham and Martha Graham, among others artists. By 1968 he had gathered a group of artists known as The Byrd Hoffman School of Byrds, and together they worked and performed in a loft building at 147 Spring Street in lower Manhattan.
Since the early 1990s, Wilson has held workshops for students and creative professionals from around the world at the International Summer Arts Program at The Watermill Center — an interdisciplinary laboratory for the arts and humanities. Following a successful capital campaign, construction of a permanent facility was completed in the summer of 2006, enabling the Byrd Hoffman Water Mill Foundation to offer residencies, lectures and performances, and educational programs throughout the year.
Adrian Madlener is a Brussels-born, New York-based journalist specializing in collectible and sustainable design. With a particular focus on topics that exemplify the best in craft-led experimentation, he frequently contributes to publications such as Cultured, Domus, Dezeen, Dwell, Hypebeast, FRAME, and Wallpaper*. Madlener has also written monographs — on Italian polymath Vincenzo De Cotiis and Czech architecture firm Chybik + Kristof — and curated exhibitions on American design history, contemporary glass, counterfeit culture, and tool theory. Madlener holds degrees from the Design Academy Eindhoven and the Parsons /Cooper Hewitt History of Design MA program.
Tickets to the event are $25 at guildhall.org. A book signing will follow the discussion. Copies of “Chairs” will be available for purchase at the event. “Chairs” is programmed in tandem with the Guild Hall exhibition, “Functional Relationships: Artist Made Furniture” which is on view through July 13. Guild Hall is at 158 Main Street in East Hampton.
Staff Writer on May 28, 2025