The Shed, new NY arts venue, sets April opening

The brand-new arts center The Shed has announced it will open on April 5 in its multidisciplinary space on Manhattan's west side.

The highly anticipated arts center will present world premieres of works in the performing arts, visual arts and popular culture, in an innovative building designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro with a telescoping outer shell to make room for large-scale performances, installations and events.

The venue has now revealed that it will officially open to the public on April 5, when it will begin unveiling a program of inaugural programming that includes commissions by Björk and filmmaker/artist Steve McQueen.

Read also: Exploring New York City off the beaten path

McQueen's five-night concert series "Soundtrack of America", celebrating the impact of African-American music, will launch the venue on April 5; the following day, three additional commissions will open: "Reich Richter Pärt", a live performance-exhibition pairing works by Gerhard Richter with compositions by Steve Reich and Arvo Pärt; "Norma Jeane Baker of Troy", a dramatic work by poet Anne Carson starring Ben Whishaw and Renée Fleming; and an exhibition of work by artist Trisha Donnelly.

Björk will premiere her work "Cornucopia" on May 6; conceived by Björk and directed by John Tiffany (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), it will feature the Icelandic artist as well as the seven-piece female Icelandic flute ensemble Viibra in an elaborate stage production.

A long roster of newly and previously announced commissions will likewise form the venue's inaugural season. Find out more about the opening season at theshed.org.