About Bruce Nauman
American · 1941–present · conceptual art, postminimalism
American[1] conceptual artist whose neon signs, video works, and body casts turned perception itself into the subject of art.
Read full biography →Bruce Nauman's works are held in 12 museums worldwide, including National Gallery of Art, Kunsthaus Zürich, and Mu.ZEE - Kunstmuseum aan Zee.
🇧🇪 Belgium
3 museums
- 9 works
Mu.ZEE - Kunstmuseum aan Zee
Ostend, Belgium
- 7 works
Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst
Citadelpark, Belgium
- 1 works
Middelheim Museum
Nachtegalen Park, Belgium
🇫🇷 France
1 museum
- 2 works
Musée National d'Art Moderne
Centre Pompidou-Metz, France
🇩🇪 Germany
2 museums
- 1 works
Staatsgalerie Stuttgart
Stuttgart, Germany
- 1 works
Hamburger Kunsthalle
Hamburg-Altstadt, Germany
🇳🇱 Netherlands
1 museum
- 6 works
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen - Robbrecht & Daem wing, Netherlands
Main building closed for renovation until 2029; Depot open Tue–Sun 11:00–17:00Depot €20 adultsEendrachtsplein (Tram 7, 8)Confirm on museum website before visiting.
🇪🇸 Spain
1 museum
- 1 works
Institut Valencià d'Art Modern
Valencia, Spain
🇨🇭 Switzerland
1 museum
- 9 works
Kunsthaus Zürich
Zurich, Switzerland
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
1 museum
- 1 works
Tate Modern
Bankside, United Kingdom
🇺🇸 United States
2 museums
- 28 works
National Gallery of Art
Washington, D.C., United States
Mon–Sat 10:00–17:00, Sun 11:00–18:00FreeArchives – Navy Memorial (Green & Yellow)Confirm on museum website before visiting. - 3 works
Museum of Modern Art
Midtown Manhattan, United States
Daily 10:30–17:30 (Sat until 19:00; first Fri of month until 20:00)Adults $30, students $17Fifth Av / 53 St (E, M)Confirm on museum website before visiting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Bruce Nauman?
Bruce Nauman was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1941[1]. He studied mathematics, physics, and art at the University of Wisconsin before going on to study under William T. Wiley and Robert Arneson at the University of California at Davis.What is Bruce Nauman known for?
Bruce Nauman is known for an open-ended body of work that includes fibreglass sculptures, abstract body casts, performances, films, neon wall reliefs, interactive environments, videos, and motorised carousels.What was Bruce Nauman's art style?
Bruce Nauman defies the traditional notion that an artist should have one signature style and a visually unified oeuvre. His work can be conceived as a ritual art, a private act of revelation that focuses not on spirit but on self.
Sources
Where to See guide aggregates verified holdings of Bruce Nauman's works across the following collections.
- [1] wikipedia Wikipedia: Bruce Nauman Used for: biography.
- [2] book guggenheim-guggenheimintern1971solo Used for: biography.
- [3] book guggenheim-mediascape00klot Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.
- [4] book guggenheim-museum00solo Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.
- [5] book guggenheim-nineyoungartists00solo Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-05-15. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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