Nauman:Bruce Nauman

Pioneer of Media Art

American artist Bruce Nauman (born 1941 in Fort Wayne, USA; lives and works in New Mexico, USA) is considered one of the most significant visual artists of our time. For over 50 years, he has worked in all conceivable artistic media, dissolving established genres and inventing new ones. His expanded notion of art encompasses wax casts, neon signs, physical contortions, wordplay, immersive audio and video environments, and the studio as a place of continuous exploration. Growing up amidst the political and social upheavals of the 1960s, Nauman has never adhered to rigid distinctions in art but has instead focused on "exploring the possibilities of what art can be." His work captivates and inspires primarily through its processual approach, connecting bodily experience with a variety of artistic forms.

The publication deepens the most comprehensive exhibition of the pioneer in Asia at Tai Kwun Contemporary in Hong Kong through a richly curated selection of interviews with and about the artist and his colleagues. Cao Fei, Anne Imhof, Andrea Lissoni, Nicholas Serota, Meredith Monk, Philippe Parreno, Paul Pfeiffer, Robert Storr, Willoughby Sharb, Zhang Peili, Samson Young, among others, highlight historical references as well as entirely new perspectives in Nauman's work. The essays by exhibition curators Carlos Basualdo, Caroline Bourgeois, Pi Li, and the team at Tai Kwun Contemporary are complemented by introductions to historical interviews by Joan Simon, as well as a series of accompanying documents and images that offer new insights into Nauman's enduring relevance amidst a changing media landscape.