Ephemeral Acts

Opening October 31, 2025, 5-7 p.m.

Drawn from the Carl and Marilynn Thoma Foundation collection, the exhibition Ephemeral Acts explores the transient nature of time-based art, where time serves as both medium and composer. This selection of works is unified by a temporal state driven by various catalysts—from algorithms and choreography to dramaturgy, game engines, interactivity, and instruments. Each artwork unfolds a unique interpretation of a fleeting “real-time,” inviting viewers to consider the notion of ephemerality not only in art, but in life. All works exist fundamentally only in their moment of execution, resisting permanence yet leaving a lasting imprint through memory, legacy, and the creative act.

Curated by Kathleen Forde, the Foundation’s Director and Curator of Media Arts, this exhibition also underscores our commitment to collecting, preserving, and sharing both the history and contemporary landscape of media art in depth. Each artist featured in Ephemeral Acts has more than one work in the collection’s holdings, demonstrating the Foundation’s priority to collect throughout an artist’s career. The work on view spans 1970-2025, highlighting the Foundation’s strategic dedication to a stewardship of the field from its inception to the present.

Artists featured in this exhibition include Laurie Anderson, Dara Birnbaum, Nick Cave, Analivia Cordeiro, R. Luke DuBois, John Gerrard, Ragnar Kjartansson, Casey Reas, Steina, Woody Vasulka, and Bill Viola.

Request a tour → 

PREVIEW OF WORKS ON VIEW

Laurie Anderson, Handphone TableImage courtesy of the artist and the Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C.

Dara Birnbaum, Mirroring (Six Movements: Video Works from 1975)Image courtesy of the artist.

Nick Cave, GestaltImage courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.

Analivia Cordeiro, 0=45 Version IImage courtesy of the artist.

R. Luke DuBois, (Pop) Icon: BritneyPhoto by Jamie Stukenberg, © R. Luke DuBois. Courtesy of the artist and the Carl and Marilynn Thoma Foundation.

John Gerrard, Ghost FeedImage courtesy of the artist.

Ragnar Kjartansson, Rich German Children (Scenes from Western Culture)Image courtesy of the artist and i8 Gallery, Reykjavík.

Casey Reas, METAVASARELYImage courtesy of the artist and bitforms gallery, New York.

Steina, Violin PowerImage courtesy of the artist.

Woody and Steina Vasulka, NoisefieldsImage courtesy of the artists.

Bill Viola, The RaftImage courtesy of the artist.

Header image: Bill Viola, Catherine’s Room, 2001. Photo by Jamie Stukenberg, © Bill Viola. Courtesy of the artist and the Carl and Marilynn Thoma Foundation.