Ari Benjamin Meyers

Ari Benjamin Meyers was born in 1972 in New York. He lives and works in Berlin.

Ari Benjamin Meyers’ work explores structures and processes that redefine the performative, social, and ephemeral nature of music. His diverse practice features performances for the stage and for exhibition spaces as well as three operas including a commission for the Semperoper Dresden, and a ballet for the Paris Opera. A number of works including Rehearsing Philadelphia and Werksorchester (both 2022) are focused on the public and civic sphere and have involved large scale communal rituals. Recently Meyers has created performances directly related to the environment and issues around climate change; these include Forecast (LX23) and Unless as part of the Shared Landscapes project (both 2023).

Trained as a composer and conductor at The Juilliard School, Yale University, and The Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University, Meyers became more widely known in the context of the visual arts in 2007 as musical director and conductor of the group exhibition Il Tempo del Postino (Manchester International Festival, 2007 and Art Basel, 2009).

Since that time, his works have been shown internationally in institutions and festivals including at MUDAM (2023); Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein (2023); Berliner Festspiele (2023); Festival d’Avignon (2023); Hamburger Kunsthalle (2022); Theater Treffen, Berlin (2022); MAAT, Lisbon (2021); Kunstsammlung Gera (2021); Neues Museum Nürnberg (2020); Schering Stiftung, Berlin (2020); VAC Foundation, Moscow (2019); Frac Franche- Comté (2019); Pinault Collection, Punta della Dogana, Venice (2019); Liverpool Biennial (2018); Nowy Teatr, Warsaw (2018); Public Art Munich (2018); Witte de With, Rotterdam (2018); Sonic Somatic Festival, Florence (2018); Biennale de Lyon (2017); Spring Workshop, Hong Kong (2017); Lenbachhaus, Munich (2017); Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin (2016).

Selected recent solo exhibitions and presentations include: Kunsthalle for Music, Act II, Abteiberg Museum, Mönchengladbach (2024); The Name of this Band is Art, CCA, Tel Aviv (2024); Kunsthalle for Music, Act 1: 7 Stücke aus dem Repertoire von Ari Benjamin Meyers, Museum Abteiberg, Mönchengladbach (2022); K Club as part of Unlimited Night at Art Basel (2022); Kunsthalle for Music, Act 1: 7 Stücke aus dem Repertoire von Ari Benjamin Meyers at Museum Abteiberg, Mönchengladbach (2022); Duet (with the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn) at Bundes kunsthalle Bonn (2022); The Long Parade at Beaufort Triennial (2021); Forecast (Installation Version) at Urbane Künste Ruhr (2021); Solo at Yellow Solo, Berlin (2020); K Club at Blitz Club, Munich (2020); Ari Benjamin Meyers: Kunsthalle for Music at MCA Santa Barbara (2019); Tacet at Kunstverein Kassel (2019); and In Concert at OGR Turin (2019).