Laurie Anderson - ARK: United States V

A momentous mix of music, cinematic imagery, songs and stories for the end of the world from the mind of Laurie Anderson

In this epic new live show conceived by and featuring Laurie Anderson, the legendary multi-media artist asks:

We’ve made the flood, but can we build an ark?

Laurie Anderson was born in Chicago in June 1947, the same time and place that atomic scientists began the Doomsday clock’s countdown to the midnight of nuclear destruction.

Fast forward to the present day and the multiple countdowns that now engulf us. Climate collapse, environmental disaster, and the proliferation of artificial intelligence have all added to a sense of isolation and powerlessness as we retreat further online. But what if the data cloud breaks? 

With contributions from her collaborator and fellow artist Ai Weiwei, ARK throws fresh light on dark times to explore where we go from here – with Anderson’s trademark imagination and touch of humour.

Best known for her multimedia performances and poetic use of technology, Laurie Anderson is one of the world’s most pioneering creative artists. As a writer, director, visual artist and composer, she’s created work that spans the worlds of art, theatre, film and music, receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 Grammys.

Her work has been presented all over the world with recent solo exhibitions in Stockholm, Montreal, Adelaide and at Washington D.C.’s iconic Smithsonian. Closer to home, Anderson presented To the Moon at MIF19 with Hsin-Chien Huang and in 2017, she broke ground at Aviva Studios. Her latest album Amelia, was released to critical acclaim in August 2024.

In the early 1980s, Anderson created the unprecedented multimedia epic United States Parts 1–4. In 2024, the year of a momentous US election, she completes this work with ARK: United States V.