h. nazan ışık—

30 January 2019—

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and MoMA PS1 in Queens present a comprehensive exhibition, which covers over 50 years of Bruce Nauman’s career. It is a perfect opportunity to see his watercolors, flashing neon signs, sculptures, drawings, paintings, and sound installations, video works.

The show at the MoMA was on the entire sixth floor and exhibited Nauman’s larger works.

I went to the MoMA twice to see visitors’ reaction. My first visit was on 8 November 2018, during Member Early Hours, before the museum opens to the public.

It wasn’t crowded at all, not a right day to observe visitor’s reaction.

A visitor next to Nauman’s “architectural “ work “Model for Trench and Four Buried Passages”

My second visit was on 22 January 2019 during Member After Hours after the museum was closed to the public. I hoped to see more visitors. It was not so crowded but definitely was better than Early Hours.

While a couple was talking about one of the artwork, the kid drew attention to more colorful neon sign on the far wall. Bruce Nauman,’s neon text masterpiece “One Hundred Live and Die” it was. And phrases like “ Sing and Live”, “Know and Die”,” Cry and Live”, “ Live and Live”, “Live and Die”, “Love and Die”, “Kill and Live” blink on and off.

Another big piece was “White Anger, Red Danger, Yellow Peril, Black Death”

A guard and the art work. Who or what was protecting what or who!

A child was studying ““White Anger, Red Danger, Yellow Peril, Black Death” by sitting under the instillation. Or he was just resting.

And a couple was enjoying the exhibition, the artwork, the space, and the moment.

The exhibition is on view at The Museum of Modern Art through February 18, 2019, and at MoMA PS1 through February 25, 2019.

Photographs: © h. nazan ışık /NKENdiKEN

© h. nazan ışık