Trisha Brown's 'Walking on the Wall' to Be Restaged at Neue Nationalgalerie for PERFORM! 2026
From September 9 to 13, 2026, the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin will present the fifth iteration of PERFORM!, its yearly festival dedicated to performance art, coinciding with Berlin Art Week. This event will turn the renowned Mies van der Rohe structure into a dynamic stage, blending dance, performance, and architecture. A highlight of the 2026 festival will be Trisha Brown's 'Walking on the Wall,' a pivotal piece in postmodern dance that debuted at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1971. Over fifty years later, it will be reinterpreted against the gallery's glass facade, showcasing seven dancers defying gravity as they traverse a wall. The festival, curated by the Neue Nationalgalerie team and supported by Berlin Art Week, will also feature additional performances, details of which are forthcoming.
Key facts
- The fifth edition of PERFORM! will take place at the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin from September 9 to 13, 2026.
- The festival is held annually during Berlin Art Week.
- Trisha Brown's 'Walking on the Wall' will be restaged, a work first performed at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1971.
- The performance will be set against the glass facade of the Neue Nationalgalerie, designed by Mies van der Rohe.
- Seven dancers will perform the piece, attached to ropes and harnesses, moving horizontally along the wall.
- The work was developed during Brown's involvement with the Judson Dance Theater.
- The festival merges dance, performance, and architecture.
- The restaging is part of the festival's program, with additional events to be announced.
Entities
Artists
Institutions
- Neue Nationalgalerie
- Whitney Museum of American Art
- Judson Dance Theater
Locations
- Berlin
- Germany
- New York
- United States