1992
In his 1992 book "Non-lieux" (Non-Places), French anthropologist Marc Augé introduced a theory that provides a perfect architectural and social critique for the work of Max Neuhaus.
Augé defines "non-places" as spaces of "supermodernity"—transit hubs, airports, hotel chains, and motorways—that lack enough significance to be regarded as "places." They are spaces of anonymity where individuals are merely "passengers" or "customers" rather than social beings.
Neuhaus’s Transformation of the "Non-Place"
Max Neuhaus’s career was essentially a lifelong mission to turn Augé’s "non-places" back into "places" through sound:
The Times Square Ventilation Vault: Before 1977, the pedestrian island at 45th Street was a quintessential "non-place"—a transit gap that people hurried across. By installing a deep, resonant hum that seemed to emanate from the earth, Neuhaus forced pedestrians to pause and "inhabit" the space, transforming a point of transit into a specific destination.
Neuhaus specifically targeted the environments Augé would later categorize as non-places, such as Newark Airport (referenced in the Jon Appleton sources) and the Jay Street Subway Station (Walkthrough, 1973). While Augé argued these spaces strip us of identity, Neuhaus used sound to restore a sense of "metaperceptual" presence, grounding the listener in their own body and location.
Augé notes that non-places are defined by instructions (signs, screens, "do not enter"). Neuhaus’s installations provided no signage. By removing the "label" of art, he allowed the listener to reclaim the space through their own discovery, defying the programmed anonymity of the modern city.