American director Bob Wilson dies at the age of 83

"Peter Pan", "Turandot", "Einstein on the Beach"... His productions of original works as well as works from the traditional repertoire have created events wherever they have been shown, particularly in France.

He is known for his original creations in both theater and opera. American director Bob Wilson died Thursday, July 31, at the age of 83, the foundation preserving his work reported. "We are devastated to announce the passing of Robert M. Wilson, artist, theater and opera director, architect, set and lighting designer, and visual artist," the Robert Wilson Arts Foundation said, adding that he "passed away peacefully" in Water Mill, New York, following "a brief but devastating illness."

"Although he faced his diagnosis with clarity and determination, he felt the need to continue working and creating until the end. His works for the stage, on paper, his sculptures and his video portraits, as well as the Watermill Center, will remain his artistic legacy," the foundation added.

Peter Pan, Turandot, Einstein on the Beach ... His productions of original works as well as works from the traditional repertoire have created events wherever they have been shown, particularly in France. "Bob Wilson was a visionary artist, a master of staging, a sculptor of light" who "profoundly influenced his contemporaries, particularly in France where he created so much," commented the French Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati.

"The master of light has passed away (...) With him, one of the greatest inventors of the contemporary scene disappears. I met him at the Nancy Festival, in those flamboyant years when everything seemed possible. It was an aesthetic shock, a revelation," added the former Minister of Culture Jack Lang on X.