Sahra Motalebi: Directory of Portrayals

Floor 3, Theater

Sahra Motalebi has described her ongoing project Directory of Portrayals (2016–19), which includes performances, exhibitions, and text, as an “open-form opera.” At the Whitney, Motalebi presents the latest iteration of this work as a two-week immersive installation in the Museum’s theater, in which sculptural sets, maquettes, and videos represent distinct chapters of the project. The artist will activate this environment through a series of scheduled performances. 

Motalebi based the libretto for Directory on an online exchange with her sister, who lives in Iran; the sisters met in person for the first time ever in 2018, after Motalebi had been working on the project for two years. The work has expanded and evolved in tandem with the women’s relationship, incorporating questions of its own production, representation, and geography into an ambitious experiment with narrative modes and the structure of opera.

Installation
July 10–22

Free with Museum admission.

Performances
July 12*, 13*, 20

*These events have reached ticketing capacity. 

Tickets are required for performances ($10 adults; $8 students, seniors, and visitors with disabilities; free for members). A limited number of standby tickets may be available at the admissions desk on a first-come, first-served basis. The standby line will open one hour prior to the program’s start time.