Joan Jonas and Eiko Otake: Drawing in Circles 

Castelli Gallery, in partnership with Danspace Project, is pleased to present Joan Jonas and Eiko Otake, Drawing in Circles. The exhibition will run from March 14th to April 1st at the gallery location on 24 W 40th Street. 

Drawing in Circles offers a unique insight into the artists’ processes of choreography and performance, that includes improvisation, collaboration, space, sound, object, and time. The installation will include two videos, one done by each artist, that the artists’ assembled to mark this historical collaboration. Additionally, the collaborative video, With the Earth at My Waistline, first presented in 2021, will also be on display.

During the run of the exhibition, there will be three live performances titled Drawing in Circles WHY. The performance will reference the artists’ connection and inspiration to Japan, particularly the influence of Nō. Drawing in Circles WHY marks a significant collaboration between Jonas and Otake as their first public performance. The performances will take place on March 18th at 4 pm, March 24th at 7 pm, and March 25th at 4 pm.

Reservations are required for performances. For more information and to reserve tickets, please refer to Danspace Project’s website.

Joan Jonas was born in 1936 in New York. After studying sculpture, Jonas became interested in dance and considered one of the founders of performance art. Her videos were included in the Castelli/Sonnabend Videotapes and Films (CSVAF) division of Castelli Gallery in 1974. Jonas’ work has been marked by historical exhibitions worldwide. She will have a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art, New York next year. Jonas currently lives and works in New York.

Eiko Otake was born in 1952 in Japan and moved to New York in 1976. In 1972, she began performing under the duo Eiko & Koma, having performed at museums and festivals around the world. Since 2016, Otake has performed on her own. She teaches interdisciplinary courses at NYU, Wesleyan University, Colorado College and UCLA that implement readings, environmental issues and movement study. She currently lives and works in New York.