Robert Wilson, the American theatre director, playwright and visual artist whose radical stagings transformed contemporary performance, died on Thursday at his home in Water Mill, New York. He was 83. His death, after a brief illness, was confirmed by Chris Green, executor of his estate and president of the Robert Wilson Arts Foundation; no further details were given. Wilson became an international force in experimental theatre with monumental works that privileged light, movement and visual composition over narrative, most famously the five-hour opera "Einstein on the Beach," created with composer Philip Glass in 1976. His career spanned collaborations with an eclectic roster ranging from opera companies and dance troupes to pop star Lady Gaga, and earned him honors including the Golden Lion for sculpture at the 1993 Venice Biennale. Tributes poured in from cultural figures around the world. France’s culture minister, Rachida Dati, hailed Wilson as a “visionary artist” who left an indelible mark on French stages, citing recent Paris productions such as the 2024 piece "Pessoa. Since I’ve Been Me."