With his Choreographic Objects, world-renowned choreographer William Forsythe shifts your attention from viewing to doing. Rather than relying on visual form alone, these pieces establish distinct choreographic conditions that take shape only through your active, physical engagement with them. Each object proposes a situation in which movement becomes the primary means of encountering the work.
6 June – 23 August 2026
‘The body is a thinking tool’, according to William Forsythe. The choreographer devised his Choreographic Objects as a series of propositions: each one is set up as a situation in which movement becomes the primary way of encountering it – although observing others is always an option. At Voorlinden, you are invited to test, adjust and respond, to discover how your body thinks through action.
| You can always view the works without actively participating. Interaction with the artworks is not required, always at your own pace and at your own risk. Follow the instructions in the space and from the museum staff, and be mindful of yourself and others around you. |
William Forsythe, Nowhere and Everywhere at the Same Time, 2015 – Photo: © Antoine van Kaam
Experience as artwork
When you go through his exhibition at Voorlinden you will discover: sometimes your response to the Choreographic Objects unfolds almost instinctively, guided by their clear cues. Others require a more deliberate interaction: you must balance, observe, coordinate and navigate their simple rules. There is no specific outcome; instead, they reveal how your body reacts to spatial prompts and shifting conditions. Your engagement – whether playful, tentative, methodical – is central. As you move, the Choreographic Objects take shape. In this encounter between body, space and object, the experience itself becomes the place where the work unfolds.
William Forsythe in collaboration with Philip Bussmann, Additive Inverse, 2007 – Photo: © Antoine van Kaam
About William Forsythe
William Forsythe (1949) is widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost choreographers, known for transforming ballet into a dynamic 21st‑century art form. As director of Ballet Frankfurt (1984-2004) and the Forsythe Company (2005-2015), he developed innovative approaches to dance that have profoundly influenced later generations. In addition to his work for the stage, Forsythe has, over the past 35 years, extended his choreographic theories through a body of installations known as Choreographic Objects.
Header: William Forsythe, The Fact of Matter, 2009 – Photo: © Blaise Adilon