Fluxus
An international community emphasizing chance-based process over finished product.
Fluxus was an international, interdisciplinary community of visual artists, composers, designers, and poets active during the 1960s and 1970s. Inspired by John Cage, they engaged in experimental art performances that emphasized chance-based process over the finished product. Fluxus is known for experimental contributions to different artistic media and disciplines, including intermedia, conceptual art, and video art, and is described by Dutch gallerist Harry Ruhé as 'the most radical and experimental art movement of the sixties'.
The movement’s origins lie in concepts explored by John Cage in his experimental music from the 1930s through the 1960s. After studying Zen Buddhism with D. T. Suzuki, Cage taught classes in experimental composition at the New School for Social Research in New York from 1957 to 1959, exploring chance and indeterminacy. Several future Fluxus artists attended, including Jackson Mac Low, La Monte Young, George Brecht, Al Hansen, and Dick Higgins. Another major influence was Marcel Duchamp, whose readymades and anti-art ideas, rooted in Dada, challenged traditional notions of art. The term anti-art was coined by Duchamp around 1913 with his first readymades. Duchamp’s altered readymade *Fountain* (1917) is a famous example. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Fluxus and related groups like Happenings and Nouveau réalisme were often grouped under the label Neo-Dada. Proto-Fluxus events included the Chambers Street loft concerts curated by Yoko Ono and La Monte Young in 1961, the Yam festival in 1963, and concerts in Mary Bauermeister’s Cologne studio from 1960–61, where Nam June Paik cut John Cage’s tie during a performance. George Maciunas, considered the founder, coined the name Fluxus in 1961 for a proposed magazine. He issued a well-known manifesto in 1963, though few considered Fluxus a true movement and the manifesto was not widely adopted. Instead, a series of festivals in Wiesbaden, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Amsterdam, London, and New York fostered a loose community with shared radical ideas about art’s role in society. Many Fluxus artists were friends and collaborators, producing performance “events,” Neo-Dada noise music, concrete poetry, visual art, and publishing. They privileged the creative process over the finished product, and some described Fluxus as a laboratory. Notable participants included Joseph Beuys, Yoko Ono, Nam Ju
- died
- 1970s (active period)
- field
- Visual art, music, performance, poetry, design
- nationality
- International
- known_for
- Experimental performances, intermedia, conceptual art, video art, anti-commercial and anti-art sensibilities
Lore & Background
Fluxus was an international, interdisciplinary community of visual artists, composers, designers, and poets active primarily in the 1960s and 1970s. Its members were inspired by composer John Cage, particularly his emphasis on chance-based processes and the idea that an artwork should be undertaken without a predetermined end, privileging the process of creation over the finished product. The readymades of Marcel Dadaist Marcel Duchamp also exerted a major influence. Fluxus is known for experimental contributions across media, generating new art forms including intermedia (a term coined by Fluxus artist Dick Higgins), conceptual art (first developed by Henry Flynt), and video art (pioneered by Nam June Paik and Wolf Vostell). Artists produced performance "events" involving enactments of scores, Neo-Dada noise music, time-based works, concrete poetry, visual art, urban planning, architecture, design, literature, and publishing. Many shared anti-commercial and anti-art sensibilities. George Maciunas, considered the founder, coined the name Fluxus in 1961 for a proposed magazine and later issued a well-known manifesto, though few considered Fluxus a true movement and the manifesto was not widely adopted. Instead, a series of festivals in Wiesbaden, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Amsterdam, London, and New York fostered a loose but robust community. Some participants described Fluxus as a laboratory for experimentation. Dutch gallerist Harry Ruhé called it "the most radical and experimental art movement of the sixties."
Reader's Guide
Fluxus's significance lies in its radical redefinition of art as process rather than product, heavily influenced by John Cage's ideas and Marcel Duchamp's readymades. The movement generated new art forms including intermedia (coined by Dick Higgins), conceptual art (first developed by Henry Flynt), and video art (pioneered by Nam June Paik and Wolf Vostell). Fluxus artists produced performance 'events', Neo-Dada noise music, concrete poetry, and time-based works, sharing anti-commercial and anti-art sensibilities. Rather than a unified movement, Fluxus operated as a loose community through festivals in Wiesbaden, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Amsterdam, London, and New York, described by some artists as a 'laboratory'. Its legacy includes influencing conceptual art, performance art, and intermedia practices, challenging traditional boundaries between artist, audience, and artwork.
Did You Know?
- The term 'intermedia' was coined by Fluxus artist Dick Higgins.
- Fluxus is sometimes described as 'intermedia' and was initially referred to by Maciunas as 'neo-dadaism'.
- Many Fluxus artists, including Yoko Ono and Nam June Paik, were part of a diverse community of collaborators and friends.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Fluxus?
Fluxus was an international collective of visual artists, composers, poets, and designers who operated mainly in the 1960s and 1970s. They prioritized experimental, chance-driven performance over polished final products, drawing heavy inspiration from composer John Cage.
What is Fluxus known for?
The group is celebrated for pushing boundaries across intermedia, conceptual art, and early video art through deliberately anti-commercial and anti-art performances. Their events often embraced absurdity, audience participation, and the rejection of traditional gallery conventions.
Why is Fluxus considered important in art history?
Dutch gallerist Harry Ruhé called it "the most radical and experimental art movement of the sixties," and it is widely credited with broadening what counts as art by dissolving boundaries between disciplines. Its emphasis on process, chance, and audience involvement laid groundwork for performance art, conceptual art, and participatory practices that dominate contemporary art today.
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