How art contributes to society and politics Transcultural dialogues with contemporary artists 100th birthday of Joseph Beuys 2021

In thirteen chapters, the exhibition and the accompanying catalogue offer profound insight into the cosmopolitan thinking of Joseph Beuys, as manifested in his actions, which are presented in the form of video projections and photographs. For it is in this capacityas an acting, speaking, and moving figurethat Beuys examined the central, radical idea of his expanded concept of art: "Every human being is an artist." The goal of his universalist approach was to renew society from the ground up. To this day, his influence can be felt in artistic and political discourses. In this exhibition, contemporary artists and representatives from various areas of society enter into a multilayered, transcultural dialogue with Beuys. From today's perspective, they confirm, question, and expand upon his theses about the possibilities of a future conceived via art.

With B-Town Warriors, Phyllida Barlow, Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian, Fatou Bensouda, Huma Bhabha, Dineo Seshee Bopape, Angela Davis, Dusadee Huntrakul, Charles Foster, Núria Güell, Donna Haraway, Raphael Hillebrand, Jenny Holzer, Michel Houellebecq, Mierle Laderman Ukeles, Zoe Leonard, Goshka Macuga, Tuan Andrew Nguyen, Milk Tea Alliance, William Pope.L, Tejal Shah, Vandana Shiva, Santiago Sierra, Patti Smith, Edward Snowdon, Christopher D. Stone, Suzanne Lacy, The Otolith Group, Thich Nhat Hanh, Greta Thunberg, Malala Yousafzai, et. al.

JOSEPH BEUYS (19211986) fundamentally changed the twentieth- century as a draftsman, sculptor, teacher, politician, activist, action, and installation artist. His 100th birthday in 2021 is an occasion to rediscover, appreciate, and critically question his complex body of work and his international influence.

»"It is an important year for Beuys devotees with the centenary of the German conceptual artist's birth rolling around in 2021. This Hatje Cantz publicationthe catalogue for a show at K20 in Düsseldorf (27 March-15 August)promises to offer profound insight into the cosmopolitan thinking of Joseph Beuys, as manifested in his actions, which are presented in the form of video projections and photographs. The exhibition and catalogue establish transcultural dialogues between Beuys and major cultural figures such as musician Patti Smith and novelist Michel Houellebecq."«

Autorentext
JOSEPH BEUYS (19211986) war ein deutscher Bildhauer, Zeichner und Aktionskünstler. Mit seinen Konzepten des »erweiterten Kunstbegriffs« und der Sozialen Plastik prägte er die Kunst der zweiten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts.