The true artist helps the world...

The United States Pavilion at the Giardini della Biennale
Bruce Nauman, June 7 - November 22, 2009

Embracing the entire perimeter of the U.S. Pavilion's frieze is a recreation of Nauman's 1983-88 landmark outdoor neon sign, Vices and Virtues (permanently installed at the University of California, San Diego).




Bruce Nauman
American, Born 1941
The True Artist Hepls the World by Revealing Mystic Truths (Window or Wall Sing)
1967, neon


What are we to make of this curious statement? Should we believe it? Is this the artist's subjective opinion, or something that is objectively true? Even Nauman has stated an ambivalence towards the sign: "The most difficult thing about the whole piece for me was the statement. It was a kind of test - like when you say something out loud to see if you believe it. Once written down, I could see that the statement [...] was on the one hand a totally silly idea and yet, on the other hand, I believed it. It's true and not true at the same time. It depends on how you interpret it and how seriously you take yourself. For me it's still a very strong thought."