Farewell Robert Wilson (1941-2025)
Adam’s Passion 2015. © Kaupo Kikkas
Farewell Robert Wilson (1941-2025)
A man who inspired and broadened my horizons
My encounter and collaboration with Wilson came about purely by chance. When the renowned director began staging Adam’s Passion with Arvo Pärt, he had one firm requirement: his personal photographer had to travel with his team.
On the Estonian side, however, it was discovered that the budget had already been significantly exceeded, and they tried to pitch Bob the idea of working with a top local photographer instead. This all happened about two days before the rehearsal period began, and naturally, I had long since made other plans.
Still, the opportunity to collaborate was so special that I asked for permission to involve my colleague and friend Kristian Kruuser, who could cover most of the rehearsals, while I would be present whenever possible. And that’s exactly how it unfolded.
At the time, I had no idea how boundary-breaking this collaboration would turn out to be for me. It became both a direct and indirect source of inspiration for my future projects, and more broadly, it reshaped my understanding of Wagner’s concept of Gesamtkunstwerk.
There was undoubtedly a certain amount of genius in Wilson—and that’s not a word I use lightly. Like many geniuses, he had a darker side. His way of treating people could at times be unbearable, and I’ve heard disturbing stories from direct sources about his exploitative behavior
Working with Wilson didn’t start off easily. He didn’t clearly say what he wanted or how he wanted —he simply expected the photographer to do their homework, to know everything, and to execute things exactly as the director envisioned.
My colleague Kristian, however, was a quick learner. He absorbed the necessary knowledge during first days and passed it on to me. As a result of that process, I can proudly say that we did such a good job that Wilson invited us to a residency at his Watermill Center.
By that time, I already had work and plans in place that couldn’t be changed, but Kristian went—and got to experience Bob’s world, which was both strange and wonderful at once.
I learned an incredible amount from that process, and Wilson continues to inspire me to this day—and likely will for many years to come. If someone ever writes a good and honest biography about Bob, I’ll be first in line to get my hands on it.
Rest in peace, great artist.