Sep 11–Dec 13, 2025
MoMA
Stephen Prina, a multidisciplinary artist, musician, and composer, has cultivated a unique and irreverent approach over the past thirty years that bridges installations, film, and musical performances. His work is characterized by an intricate layering of diverse cultural references, ranging from the songs of Joni Mitchell and films by Robert Bresson to Glenn Gould’s recordings and Édouard Manet’s paintings. By presenting these elements in novel exhibition contexts, Prina invites viewers to explore new meanings and associations, offering fresh insights into cultural narratives.
Stephen Prina: A Lick and a Promise is the first comprehensive survey focusing on his extensive performances, emphasizing the critical theme of time and its influence on shifting cultural values. Spread across multiple museum sites, including the Marie-Josée and Henry Kravis Studio, the exhibition features restagings of seminal works like Sonic Dan (1994–2001), alongside newly commissioned pieces such as A Lick and a Promise (2025)—an orchestral composition for thirteen instruments culminating in a pop concert. This wide-ranging survey celebrates Prina’s innovative appropriation methods, with a distinctive focus on sound and music, and highlights the warm intellectualism that positions him as an insightful and evolving figure in contemporary art.
