Bruce Nauman

Bruce Nauman was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA, in 1941. From 1960 to 1963 he studied mathematics, physics and art at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, earning a bachelor's degree (BA). From 1964 to 1966, he continued his studies at the University of California, Davis, and graduated with a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree. From 1966 to 1968, he taught at the San Francisco Art Institute. In 1970, he taught at the University of Calivornia, Irvine. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 1999. In 2006, he was awarded the Art Prize of the state capital Düsseldorf. In 1989, Nauman moved to Galisteo, New Mexico, USA, where he lives and works.

The artist began as a painter and switched to sculpture and film. Through the intense exploration of (his) body in space, he became a pioneer of performance and participatory art. Today Nauman is one of the most important international artists. In his work he centrally addresses human existence, the abysses and adversities of the conditio humana (nature of being human) against the background of and in interaction with social systems and conditions.