“Cool Britannia features three essential choreographic innovators in ballet who are unafraid to break with and reimagine artistic traditions and push them forward,” SF Ballet Artistic Director Tamara Rojo stated in yesterday’s announcement. “This new work of art speaks directly to Cool Britannia’s themes while supporting the Ballet’s vision of bringing new, multi-disciplinary artistry work to the War Memorial Opera House and to our San Francisco community.”

One of Mukherjee’s challenges was to create a cohesive image that could introduce audiences to ideas flowing through the three separate pieces. “There’s this incredible conversation between really angular movements and machine language, and then the fluidity of the body,” she says. Her final painting, set against a shimmering, deep blue background, depicts plants in space.

“Plants are the ultimate makers of form because they make form out of air and light,” Mukherjee says. She included specific species that were grown by civilians during WWI to create medicine for the war effort; Dust is a one-act ballet about the human experience of the war.

Now, the work lies with SF Ballet’s scenic artists to transform Mukherjee’s 18-by-36-inch painting into massive mural.

The collaboration between SF Ballet and the Fine Arts Museums will also mark the Legion of Honor’s 100th anniversary. Several notable events are planned for 2025 to celebrate the milestone, including pre-performance conversations with museum curators and artists at the ballet; a discussion of SF Ballet’s 1990 production of Krazy Kat (alongside the Legion of Honor’s upcoming Wayne Thiebaud exhibition); and chamber music performances and Dance-Along workshops at the Legion of Honor.