"Duets on Ice" was one of Laurie Anderson’s earliest performance pieces. Debuted in New York in 1974, the performance comprises the artist wearing skates frozen into blocks of ice and playing her violin in a series of electronic duets until the ice melts and she loses her balance. She has since been recognized as one of the most innovative performers in the world. Her incorporation of new technologies and pioneering blend of artistic expression and musical composition has set her apart from her contemporaries for decades. Of the work, Anderson was quoted in Rolling Stone saying, “I talked about the parallels between skating and violin playing—blades over a surface—and about balancing, and what it means to play a duet with yourself.” Anderson recently recreated her iconic performance and it was streamed live online for the first time from our outdoor Plaza, you can watch the performance on our YouTube channel and website. CREATE: Freeze an object in a small container. Create a performance that lasts for the amount of time it takes for the ice to melt. Share your creation with #HirshhornInsideOut! https://www.instagram.com/hirshhorn https://www.facebook.com/hirshhorn https://twitter.com/hirshhorn https://hirshhorn.si.edu/hirshhorninsideout/
