Sounds Modern: Music for Deep Thinkers

In conjunction with the Modern’s exhibition Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers, Sounds Modern presents Music for Deep Thinkers. More information to come.

This concert is free and open to the public.

The most up-to-the-minute and least predictable concert music series in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Sounds Modern has been exploring links between contemporary music and visual arts for over a decade. Sounds Modern reaches beyond the traditional context of classical music, collaborating with modern art presenters and other non-traditional venues to share adventurous new music with adventurous new audiences. Conceived and directed by virtuoso flutist Elizabeth McNutt in collaboration with the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Sounds Modern adds a sonic dimension to the ideas represented in the galleries, and brings the artwork to life in the concert hall.

Stage Events - Throughout the run of the special exhibition Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers, a site-specific stage located in front of the Modern’s auditorium will host both programmed performances and spontaneous activations. An artwork in its own right, Stage, 2025, features a powder-coated steel surface bearing Johnson’s signature marks, scratched and branded into the metal, aging and burnishing over time. This platform, where others can express themselves, emphasizes the reciprocal relationship between artist and audience, a central motif in the artist’s practice.

Inspired by Johnson’s early memories of dancing and performing with friends atop Carl Andre’s post-minimal floor works at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Stage is a testament to Johnson’s commitment to creating space for others. More than an invitation to engage and interact, the work fosters artistic endeavors and creativity as a collective experience.