Robert Rauschenberg's centenary is being celebrated with a sprawling, interdisciplinary series of events that began this fall and will continue into 2026. At least eight major institutional exhibitions of his work are mounted worldwide, alongside a book of his writings published by Yale University Press and a national tour by the Trisha Brown Dance Company and the Merce Cunningham Trust featuring Rauschenberg's sets and costumes. Cultured magazine invited artists across disciplines to reflect on his legacy, with contributions from Jeff Koons and RJ Messineo, among others.
This centenary matters because Rauschenberg is widely regarded as one of the most inventive artists of the 20th century, credited by Jasper Johns with having "invented more than any artist since Picasso." His "Combines" broke down boundaries between painting and sculpture, and his collaborations with choreographers, dancers, designers, and scientists expanded the definition of art. The scale and ambition of the centenary programming mirror his own expansive practice, underscoring his enduring influence on contemporary art and his role in bridging art with technology and science.