Artist Talk: Joan Jonas
Join the Hirshhorn for an intimate, in-person conversation with pioneering multimedia artist Joan Jonas, a foundational figure in American performance art. The discussion will explore Jonas’s groundbreaking experiments connecting film and video, installation and sculpture, body art, movement, mirrors, and natural forces as ways of investigating perception.
The program celebrates the joint acquisition by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and The Gund at Kenyon College of two significant early Jonas works: the multimedia installation *Mirror Pieces Installation II* (1969/2014) and the film *Wind* (1968). These works are important examples of Jonas’s early practice and are the first works by the artist to enter both institutions’ collections. Jonas will be joined by Marina Isgro and Daisy Desrosiers.
When: September 10, 2026.
Showtimes: The talk runs from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Event type: Artist talk.
Tickets: Admission is free. Advance Insider tickets are scheduled to become available Friday, August 21, at 7 p.m., followed by general tickets on Monday, August 24, at 7 p.m. Space is limited, and the program is expected to reach capacity, so claiming a ticket in advance is strongly recommended.
Participants: Joan Jonas, Marina Isgro, and Daisy Desrosiers.
Joan Jonas: Born in New York City in 1936, Jonas is an internationally recognized artist whose work spans video, performance, installation, sound, text, and sculpture. Her experiments in the late 1960s and early 1970s helped shape performance art, video, conceptual art, and theater. Since 1968, her practice has examined perception, ritual rhythms, and the authority of objects and gestures.
Marina Isgro: Isgro is the Hirshhorn’s curator of media and performance art and interim head curator. Since joining the museum in 2020, she has organized exhibitions including *Laurie Anderson: The Weather*, *John Akomfrah: Purple*, *Revolutions: Art from the Hirshhorn Collection, 1860–1960*, and *OSGEMEOS: Endless Story*, along with live performances by artists such as Yvonne Rainer. She previously held a fellowship at the Harvard Art Museums and has written about time-based media for publications including *Artforum*, *Art Journal*, and *Tate Papers*. She holds a PhD in art history from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA from Princeton University.
Daisy Desrosiers: Desrosiers is the Britton Family Curator-at-Large for North America at Tate and the curatorial and strategic lead at The Gund at Kenyon College. At Tate, she supports research, acquisitions, and stewardship of modern and contemporary art from across North America. She previously served as The Gund’s director and chief curator, guiding the museum’s growth and accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums. Her projects include co-curating the 15th Shanghai Biennale, and her collaborations have included Joan Jonas, Ming Smith, Claudia Alarcón and Silät, Christine Sun Kim, Vivian Suter, and Marie Watt. Her work focuses on artist-centered exhibitions, collections, and museums as places for learning, dialogue, and public engagement.
Run time: One hour.
Venue: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue SW and 7th Street SW, Washington, DC 20560.
Accessibility: Visitors with questions or requests for access services or accommodations should contact HirshhornExperience@si.edu. One to two weeks’ advance notice is recommended, though not required.
Contact: For event questions, email Hirshhornexperience@si.edu. The museum can also be reached at 202-633-1000. Hirshhorn Insiders may contact HMSGdevelopment@si.edu.