Dates & times
All times are local to the venue · America/Los Angeles
- From 6:00 PM
These are the previously published dates. Check the organizer for a new edition.
Check the organizer’s latest schedule ↗An Evening with Doug Aitken: Six projects and a practice shaped by place
A museum facade, a mirrored house and a cross-country train have all figured in Doug Aitken’s work. An Evening with Doug Aitken offers a chance to hear the artist discuss six projects from a practice that moves between moving images, sound, performance and the places that accommodate them.
Following a practice across formats
For the SFMOMA talk, Aitken will use six projects to trace a career spanning more than three decades. Film and video are central to the selection, and the museum says the program includes projects never before shown in San Francisco. It has not named the six works, so visitors should come for the overview rather than expect a particular title.
Aitken’s wider practice includes multichannel video, sound and performance. SFMOMA describes an artist interested in how people inhabit environments and how a work can respond not only to a physical site but also to its history.
Further reading: An Evening with Doug Aitken · SFMOMA ↗
From museum walls to a moving train
Earlier projects give a sense of the range, although none has been confirmed for this talk. Sleepwalkers (2007) used the exterior of New York’s Museum of Modern Art as a projection surface; SONG 1 (2012) wrapped the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC. Both point to a way of working in which architecture helps determine how an image is encountered.
Mirage (2017) took another approach: a mirrored house installed in the California desert, Detroit and Switzerland. For Station to Station (2013), Aitken worked with a train traveling across the country; the project subsequently appeared at London’s Barbican. These examples suggest why a discussion centered on film and video can also open onto questions of landscape and movement.
Further reading: An Evening with Doug Aitken · SFMOMA ↗
The program
Aitken’s artist talk is the listed program for the evening.
Thursday, October 29, 2026 · Floor 1, Phyllis Wattis Theater
- An Evening with Doug Aitken: a talk tracing his practice through six projects drawing heavily on film and video.
Before the talk
Select a pricing tier
The talk has a free RSVP and three paid options. Check the ticket link for current availability.
Request accommodations ahead
SFMOMA asks for requests for ASL interpretation or assisted-listening devices ten business days in advance. Email [email protected]; the museum says it will do its best to fulfill requests.
Getting to SFMOMA
Entrance and transit
The museum’s main visitor entrance is at 151 Third Street, a few blocks from Montgomery Street BART. The talk is in the Phyllis Wattis Theater on Floor 1.
SFMOMA directs visitors to the Joyce and Larry Stupski Entrance on Minna Street for after-hours or education events; check with the museum if unsure which entrance to use for this talk.
An Evening with Doug Aitken · SFMOMA ↗ · SFMOMA · Visitor's Guide ↗ · Getting Here · SFMOMA ↗
Parking
SFMOMA’s garage is at 147 Minna Street, a few steps from the Third Street entrance. The museum lists garage hours of 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
Before you make a plan
Which projects will Doug Aitken discuss?
SFMOMA says the talk covers six projects drawing heavily on film and video, but does not name them. It says some have not previously been shown in San Francisco.
Is there a free ticket option?
Yes. SFMOMA lists a free RSVP alongside $10, $20 and $30 paid tiers. Check the ticket page for availability.
How can I request interpretation or an assisted-listening device?
Email [email protected] ten business days in advance. SFMOMA says it will do its best to fulfill accommodation requests.
Does the museum list an end time?
The visible event listing gives a 6 p.m. start but does not state an end time.
Location & Google Maps
SFMOMA, Floor 1, Phyllis Wattis Theater
151 Third Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Map search by venue and address. Check the organiser’s entrance details before travelling.