I almost forgot to mention that I went to see Bruce Nauman’s exhibition at Hamburger Bahnhoff while in Berlin recently, after experiencing Olafur Eliasson‘s exhibition Innen Stadt Außen at the Grobius Bau. Nauman‘s works provided a sharp contrast to Eliasson’s in that Nauman requires the visitors to reflect on a specific topic, while Eliasson speaks entirely to the senses.
Bruce Nauman
This makes the latter a kind of luxurious pleasure garden experience, where the memory is one of a thrilling experience of the senses that surprises, worries and pleases/teases you. The order of the factors in such a presentation must necessarily be very well thought out and prepared to achieve the effect, and this was indeed also the case. Having recently been to Legoland fun-fair in Billund, Denmark with my grand-daughter it was striking that the manipulation of your sense was of the same nature as Legoland’s more elaborate fun-rides, though obviously much more exquisite.