Lecture on the Weather

Music by John Cage alongside a public dialogue

Saturday 20 September, at 13:00–16:00

Free

Admission is free, but you must reserve a ticket in advance.

What dreams for society do you carry within you?

This event combines public dialogue with a performance of Lecture on the Weather (1975) by John Cage—a work incorporating illustrations, weather sounds, and texts by Henry David Thoreau—with a public dialogue.

In his work, Cage asks about the visions that inspire us to reflect and act. He argues that vision is vital in troubled times—when corruption pervades, complexity overwhelms, power-hungry leaders spark wars and stifle justice; when herd mentality wins because resistance feels too isolating; and when unreliable information erodes self-trust while fear turns the unfamiliar into a threat.

These were Cage’s concerns fifty years ago, but do they not still resonate today? Both Lecture on the Weather and public dialogue ask how one can find new inspiration to shape the future.

Which visions and promises should we trust? How can individual voices still resonate within the collective?

The dialogue includes people with different experiences and from different backgrounds, including audience members as well as artists and musicians involved in the performance of Cage’s work.

Please note: admission is free, but you must reserve a ticket in advance.

Facts

Public dialogue is an open, facilitated format that uses active listening and personal reflection to explore complex or conflict-laden topics in an inclusive setting. The methodology was developed by the Nansen Center for Peace and Dialogue, who facilitates this event in collaboration with the National Museum.
The event is developed with Global Oslo Music, a presenter and artist network founded in 2008 that promotes cultural diversity in Norway. Founder Malika Makouf Rasmussen received the Norwegian Society of Composers’ Equality and Inclusion Award in 2024.
The artists participating in the event come from backgrounds including music, visual art, textiles, anthropology, and activism. Many work with participatory formats, improvisation, and interdisciplinary expressions. What unites them is a strong engagement with questions of identity, belonging, minority experience, and social justice.