Sonic Youth Art Exhibit Coming to the Whitney?

At designer Marc Jacobs’s party last week, Thurston Moore told us that Sonic Youth are preparing to launch an art show, which they hope will travel the world over a number of years, including a stop in New York. “We’re putting together this museum show that’s utilizing all the artists that we’ve worked with on different covers and concepts, and that’s going to happen for two or three years,� said Moore, after the band played “Kool Thing� at Jacobs’s request. “It’s going to happen in young museums, there’s one outside of Paris, there’s one in Malmö, Sweden,� he added.

The show is expected to kick off in June at LiFE (Lieu international des Formes Emergentes) in Saint-Nazaire, featuring works from artists who have collaborated with Sonic Youth over the course of their 26-year career. “It’s going to be a lot of artwork by a lot of artists that we’ve worked with through the years, people like Chris Wool, Dan Graham, Vito Acconci.� Not only will works of art be on display, but the band plans to perform at each location. As the band is starting to write their new album this spring, according to Moore, art fans may even get a sneak preview.

A location for the show in New York has yet to be confirmed, Moore says, but at least one museum is already attracted to the project — or else Moore’s trying to attract its attention. “I think the Whitney is somewhat interested,� he said, “but it’s all about scheduling.� —Fiona Byrne