Fluxus

Fluxus is an international and interdisciplinary avant-garde art movement that arose in the 1960s, emphasizing the fusion of art and everyday life. Originating in Europe and the United States, Fluxus sought to overturn conventional divisions between artist, audience, and artwork through collaborative, process-oriented practices and a playful, anti-commercial stance. The name, meaning flow in Latin, was coined by George Maciunas, a Lithuanian-born American artist and organizer who coordinated a loose network of like-minded artists, composers, poets, and designers.

Fluxus productions typically took the form of event scores, performance actions, publications, and editioned multiples. Rather than fixed objects, the works guided participants to carry out simple instructions or engage in chance-based or time-based actions. The approach drew on Dada and conceptual art, and it blurred boundaries among music, theater, visual art, and everyday activity. Key figures associated with Fluxus include George Brecht, Al Hansen, Nam June Paik, Yoko Ono, Alison Knowles, and Maciunas himself; the practice spread through hubs in New York, Düsseldorf, Amsterdam, and Tokyo, among others. Fluxus also fostered the creation of “Fluxus boxes” and other kit-like formats intended for easy dissemination and reinterpretation.

Influence and legacy: Fluxus helped shape conceptual art, performance art, and intermedia practices, reinforcing a critique of the art market and an emphasis on process, collaboration, and accessibility. Although identified as a movement in the mid-1960s, Fluxus persisted in various forms and remained a touchstone for later experimental practices.