About
Harrell gained international recognition for creating a series of works that bring together the tradition of voguing with early postmodern dance. In his latest work, Harrell addresses theoretical and formal ideas, from butoh dance to early modern dance. Weaving the links between different dance histories, Harrell puts the body at the center of his research, exploring the ways in which it becomes a receptacle of memory, speculation, the past, presence, and historical figures who have inspired his work. His work is presented internationally in theaters, museums, festivals and galleries.
Harrell has received awards including the Doris Duke Impact Award, and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, USA Artists, Art Matters, and the Saison Foundation. The first retrospective of his work, “Hoochie Koochie,” took place at the Barbican Centre in London in 2017. In 2023, Harrell was invited to create a work for the prestigious Cour d’honneur for the 77th edition of Festival d’Avignon. Later that year, Festival d’Automne in Paris dedicated a portrait to Harrell, presenting eight of his works in Paris. In 2024, Harrell was awarded the Silver Lion of the Venice Biennale of Dance.