Palazzo Grassi—Punta della Dogana presents a major exhibition dedicated to Bruce Nauman from 23 May 2021 to 9 January 2022.
“Bruce Nauman: Contrapposto Studies,” curated by Carlos Basualdo, is an homage to one of the major figures of contemporary art and focuses on three fundamental aspects of his works: the artist studio as a space where creation takes place, the body through performances and the exploration of sound.
The show includes four recent pieces—one created specifically on the occasion of the exhibition at Punta della Dogana and three which have never been shown in Europe—that illustrate Nauman’s modus operandi, consisting in the development of themes and variations that often take the form of the entire series. They are a reinterpretation of an installation entitled Acoustic Wedge, two recent Contrapposto works that Nauman developed using 3D technology, and an interactive mapping of his studio, Nature Morte.
From experimenting with videotape recorders when the technology first became available, to the use of the latest iPhones and 3D technology, Nauman has always put himself in the position of a “Beginner Beginning.” Once again, he returns to the wellspring of possibilities related to the use of his body in the space of his studio, his working place par excellence that is also a place of intimacy.
