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Exhibition

The Unilever Series: Bruce Nauman: Raw Materials

12 October 2004 – 2 May 2005
Bruce Nauman's plans for the layout of the Turbine Hall for his exhibition: Raw Materials at Tate Modern
Bruce Nauman's plans for the layout of the Turbine Hall for his exhibition: Raw Materials at Tate Modern

Bruce Nauman's plans for the layout of the Turbine Hall for his exhibition: Raw Materials at Tate Modern

Bruce Nauman’s fascination with language is central to his artistic output and this is an area which he will continue to explore in this commission. Influenced during his earlier career by the writer Samuel Beckett and the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, Nauman has continued to explore the possibilities of language in works ranging from purely acoustic explorations of the rhythms of speech to visually powerful neon text pieces.

Nauman believes strongly that art has a social function. He has stated that he is motivated by frustration with the human condition and he uses words and the device of repetition to explore both this and the role of art. In the video installation World Peace 1996, a diverse cast of actors endlessly rehearse the words ‘We’ll talk – They’ll listen / You’ll talk – We’ll listen / They’ll talk – You’ll listen’. Characteristically, the meaning of the work remains ambiguous and the viewer is left to ponder the true nature of the international dialogue so familiar from summit conferences, as well as human communication in general.

For the Turbine Hall Nauman has created a fascinating and provocative sound work which engages visitors as they progress through the space.

Dates

12 October 2004 – 2 May 2005

Sponsored by

The Unilever Series: an annual art commission

The Unilever Series: an annual art commission

Find out more

  • Bruce Nauman Make Me think

    Bruce Nauman: Make Me Think Me

    Bruce Nauman: Make Me think, Tate Liverpool

  • Sound waves

    Robert Storr

    Language has been a key element in Bruce Nauman’s work. For the fifth in The Unilever Series of commissions for the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern, Nauman, who is one of the most important visual artists working today, uses the human voice as the focus of a new installation. Robert Storr talked to the artist on his ranch in Galisteo, New Mexico

  • Artist

    Bruce Nauman

    born 1941
Artwork
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