Oliver Beer and Rufus Wainwright: In Conversation Moderated by Lotte Johnson
Join us for an in-conversation between Oliver Beer and Rufus Wainwright, moderated by Barbican Art Gallery curator Lotte Johnson, to mark the opening of The Sky in the Cave and the launch of a limited edition vinyl soundtrack.
The pair will discuss their experience recording inside a Palaeolithic painted cave in the Dordogne — one of the earliest sites of human image-making, whose walls were chosen as much for their acoustics as their surfaces — and Wainwright's central role in The Cave, Beer's monumental video installation which premiered at the Lyon Biennale and is now touring internationally.
To reserve your space e-mail [email protected]
Rufus Wainwright has established himself as one of the great male vocalists, songwriters, and composers of his generation. The New York-born, Montreal-raised singer-songwriter has released ten studio albums to date, three DVDs, and three live albums including the GRAMMY® nominated Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall. He has collaborated with artists such as Elton John, Burt Bacharach, Miley Cyrus, David Byrne, Boy George, Joni Mitchell, Pet Shop Boys, Heart, Carly Rae Jepsen, Robbie Williams, Jessye Norman, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Sting, and producer Mark Ronson, among many others. He has written two operas and numerous songs for movies and TV.
On 10th June, Rufus Wainwright will be performing Rufus Does Judy at the Royal Albert Hall, London, marking its 20th anniversary. https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/events/2026/rufus-does-judy
Lotte Johnson is Curator at Barbican Art Gallery, London, where her recent curatorial projects and publications include Beatriz González (2026), Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art (2024, co-curated with Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam) and Carolee Schneemann: Body Politics (2022), as well as solo commissions by artists Citra Sasmita (2025), Toyin Ojih Odutola (2020), SERAFINE1369 (2019), Yto Barrada (2018) and Bedwyr Williams (2016). She previously worked at The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
