Two artists, two generations, and a conceivably different background: the SCHIRN is dedicating a comprehensive exhibition to the surprising and hitherto largely overlooked connections in the work of Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966) and Bruce Nauman (*1941). Drawings, photographs, videos, sculptures, and expansive installations by the American multimedia artist enter into an exciting dialogue with selected sculptures and paintings by the Swiss sculptor. In the case of both artists, the oeuvre revolves primarily around the image of man and the human condition; it seeks to fathom fundamental questions of existence with reduced means of representation. The shocking directness of the works of art makes a lasting demand on the viewer. A processual way of thinking connects Giacometti and Nauman just as much as their themes, such as the representation of emptiness, the relationship between figure and space, or the fragmented body. In a thematically arranged tour, the exhibition brings together some 70 works, including numerous major works by both artists. The juxtaposition dares a confrontation with an open outcome: Giacometti becomes recognizable as a pioneer of central developments in art after 1960, regaining his original radicalism, while in Nauman's case, his outstanding importance as a sculptor becomes clear and historically comprehensible in a different way. The exhibition does not prove influences or overriding theories, but rather broadens the view of the work of two outstanding representatives of 20th and 21st century art.
Text source and further information about this event: http://www.schirn.de
