Heightened Awareness Through Simulated Movement in Multimedia Performance

In the 1960s and 1970s, American artist Bruce Nauman made installations and video works that prompt the observer to explore the awareness of her presence in relation to the object. Art critic Susan Cross suggests that the effect of these works is related to Michael Fried’s notion of the 'stage presence' of Minimalist works. The works by Nauman that are discussed in this paper are primarily based on the observation of pre-recorded videos or the active participation of the observer in the work. In response, the author suggests a way to develop Nauman’s strategy for enhancing awareness of presence by confronting the observer with the visual and aural perception of moving sounding objects in combination with simulated aural motion cues generated by means of digital sound technology. This approach is illustrated by an analysis of some aspects of his performance installation Box Piece.