2012 Walter Annenberg Lecture: Sarah Sze

Known for large-scale sculptural installations, wall-mounted reliefs, and works on paper, Sarah Sze transforms our perception of quotidian items, such as notebook paper, plastic spoons, string, and straws, by assembling works of extraordinary beauty, movement, balance, and surprise. By playing with scale and illusion created through the mass accretion of small objects, she creates architectonic pieces that seem to defy gravity and form their own model universe. The Whitney has exhibited and supported Sze’s work since early in her career and remains steadfastly committed to her vision of what an artwork can be. 

In this eighth Walter Annenberg Lecture, Sze speaks about her work in conversation with Adam D. Weinberg, the Whitney’s Alice Pratt Brown Director. In honor of the late Walter H. Annenberg, philanthropist, patron of the arts, and former ambassador, the Whitney Museum of American Art established the Walter Annenberg Annual Lecture to advance this country’s understanding of its art and culture. Support for this lecture and for public programs at the Whitney Museum is provided, in part, by Jack and Susan Rudin in honor of Beth Rudin DeWoody, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and by the Museum’s Education Committee.