A landmark show at two institutions celebrates the renowned German artist
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The Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam are partnering for the first time to present an ambitious exhibition focused on the acclaimed German artist Anselm Keifer. Displayed across both venues, “Anselm Kiefer – Sag mir wo die Blumen sind,” or “Where have all the flowers gone,” takes its name from a 1955 anti-war song by the American folk singer and activist Pete Seeger, popularized by Marlene Dietrich. The title refers to a new 24-meter-long painterly installation by Kiefer, which will be displayed around the great staircase in the Stedelijk’s old building. The flowers also reference the famous motif by Vincent van Gogh, whose lifelong influence on Kiefer forms the focus of the Van Gogh Museum’s portion of the presentation. Here, seven works by the famous Dutch neo-impressionist, including “Wheatfield With Crows,” (1890), will be shown alongside early drawings Kiefer made on a trip retracing Van Gogh’s footsteps, plus never-before-seen paintings, such as “The Starry Night,” (2019).
Meanwhile, Kiefer’s larger relationship with the Netherlands is the focus of the Stedelijk’s portion of the display. An early supporter of his work, the museum acquired “Innenraum,” (1981), and “Märkischer Sand,” (1982), before mounting a retrospective in 1986 that helped cement his status. All the works from their collection will be on view for the first time, including his unknown film “Noch ist Polen nicht los…”, created in 1989 shortly before the fall of the Iron Curtain. References to historical, mythical, mystical and philosophical themes abound in Kiefer’s often grandiose works, and the heavy weight of human history is treated in a second site-specific installation at the Stedelijk, “Steigend, steigend, sinke nieder” (“Rising, rising, sinking down”), made from photographs and lead. “It will be truly remarkable to see these installations amid several of [Kiefer’s] iconic works from the 1980s,” explained Stedelijk director Rein Wolfs. “In this way, Kiefer looks back at the past and towards the future.”
Photo: Anselm Kiefer, “De sterrennacht,” 2019. © Anselm Kiefer. Photograph by Georges Poncet.
