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18/9/2010

New Alchemy

LWL-Landesmuseum fur Kunst und Kulturgeschichte, Munster

Karla Black, Katinka Bock, Björn Braun, Nina Canell, Aleana Egan, Myriam Holme, Sergej Jensen, Lone Haugaard Madsen, Lorenzo Pompa, Matthew Ronay, Michael Stumpf

Over 20 years after the death of Joseph Beuys, a young generation of artists has set out as the new "fatherless generation," invoking primal elements and energies, the forces of nature and of the irrational. This new art is dedicated to life and direct sensory experience. As a reaction to the certainty that in the end nothing is certain, works are created that in their immediacy capture their own processuality, the fleetingness of aesthetic experience and the poetry of the individual moment.

The point of departure for this exhibition is the observation that in the last several years a number of young artists born in the 1970s seem closely allied in terms of the aesthetics and content of their work to the creations and philosophy of Joseph Beuys. Central historical and intellectual elements of Joseph Beuys' work are being updated by this young generation of artists. Beuys' intense interest in anthroposophy as formulated by Rudolf Steiner and the integration of spiritual aspects of this world view into breakthroughs in the natural sciences of the early 20th century, as well as the expansion of these insights into a life philosophy also can be recognized in this contemporary young art. The emphasis placed on the unity of life and on the special value of vitality, creativity and dynamic in contrast to pure goal-oriented rationality seems to be a reaction to contemporary developments, in which themes like the uninhibited acceptance of capitalistic goal-oriented thinking, the energy crisis and the apocalyptical mood the latter has induced have come to dominate public discourse. In response to this a new romantic "back-to-nature" movement seems to be taking shape. The central thesis of Arte Povera, which Beuys also adopted in his thinking, is lent new significance here − to escape the existential anxieties of the modern age, artistic tools are being reduced to a minimum. The exploration of oneself, the potentials of and interaction within space, as well as a new appreciation for materials and nature stand once again at the centre of this art.

Many of the artists selected have only been presenting their work to the public for a few years and yet have been able to attract a great deal of international attention. Works already completed have been combined with pieces specially conceived for the LWL-Landesmuseum and integrated into performances and events as part of the exhibition program. A catalogue will be released that documents both historical connections as well as the exhibition itself. The exhibition will open at almost the same time as the large Joseph Beuys retrospective entitled "Parallelprozesse" (Parallel Processes) at the Kunstsammlung NRW in Düsseldorf, showing how the aesthetic and content-related concepts that Beuys introduced are now being taken up and extended.

Supporting program:
Tuesday, October 5, 7 pm: Contemporary Art after Beuys? Lecture by Melanie Bono, Exhibition Curator
Saturday, October 16, and Sunday, October 17, 3 pm: Art Yoga Y8. More information: www.artyoga.de.
Friday, December 3, 7:30 pm: "fürsichstehend". Sound performance with Myriam Holme and Ralf Haarmann

Image: Katinka Bock, "Trostpfuetzen (Consolation puddles)," 2010. Courtesy of Gallery Jocelyn Wolff, Paris. Photo by LWL-LMKuK/ Hanna Neander.

Press contact:
Frank Tafertshofer, Telefon: 0251 591-235, presse@lwl.org

LWL-Landesmuseum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte
Domplatz 10 - 48143 Münster
Hours
Tue – Sun 10 am – 6 pm
Thu 10 am – 9 pm
closed on Mondays

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