William Kentridge: A Natural History of the Studio

Renowned for his politically charged animations, charcoal drawings, and theatrical productions, William Kentridge (born in 1955 in Johannesburg, South Africa) continues to expand the boundaries of narrative and form in his current exhibition A Natural History of the Studio mounted at Hauser & Wirth in New York City. Through videos, sculptures, drawings, prints, and more, Kentridgeoffers profound insights into the conceptual and material processes he engages to delve into themes of memory, apartheid in South Africa, the construction of knowledge, and artistic practice itself. With his trademark blend of erudition and wit, Kentridge speaks about the act of “thinking with the hands”—how drawing, erasure, and re-drawing become critical as well as artistic tools for exploring the instability of meaning and the layering of time. In addition to highlighting this current exhibition, this lecture offers a survey of Kentridge’s practices, exploring his immersive installations and animated sequences as revelatory inquiries into the fragmented nature of personal and political history.