Marilyn Arsem

“Marilyn Arsem: 100 Ways to Consider Time” debuts a new performance by Boston-based artist Marilyn Arsem (born in 1951). For six hours a day, every day, for 100 days, Arsem will be present in Gallery 261, inserting her living presence into the Museum. Her performance is an invitation to pause and experience the present moment, providing a temporary respite to the frenetic pace of our modern lives.

Like time itself, performance art is ephemeral. All that remains following a performance is how it is subsequently recalled through memory and retellings. Arsem and the MFA invite you to further engage with “100 Ways to Consider Time” by contributing reflections on how you experience time in your own life via letter, e-mail, Twitter, or Instagram throughout the course of the exhibition. Your submissions will become part of the documentation of Arsem’s performance, and a selection will be published by the MFA.

Record your reflections and share them with us

Mail: “Marilyn Arsem: 100 Ways to Consider Time,” Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Avenue of the Arts, 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115

E-mail: marilynarsem@mfa.org

Twitter: #MarilynArsem @mfaBoston
Instagram: #MarilynArsem @mfaBoston

Schedule

Arsem will perform during these times. When she is not present, an audio recording of her voice will play in the gallery.

Every Monday, Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday 10:30 am to 4:30 pm
Every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 3:30 to 9:30 pm

Please note that on Thursday, December 24, and Thursday, December 31, Arsem's performance times will be 10:30 am to 4:30 pm. 

Maud Morgan Prize

Marilyn Arsem is the first performance artist to receive the MFA’s prestigious Maud Morgan Prize, established in 1993 in recognition of the spirit of adventure and independence embodied by noted New England artist Maud Morgan (1903–1999). The prize honors a Massachusetts woman artist who has made significant contributions to the contemporary arts landscape. Over the last three decades, Arsem has performed over 180 works around the world. A defining figure in the field of performance art, she has influenced generations of artists in Boston and internationally.

Above: "Marilyn Arsem: 100 Ways to Consider Time" at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, November 2015.