Anselm Kiefer, exporevue, magazine, art vivant et actualité

Anselm Kiefer, Grand Palais Paris

An eschatological vision of the world under the Parisian sky, for a major event in the world of contemporary art. Dust and ashes lie under the glass vault of the Grand Palais. Monumenta 2007 is a powerful counterpoint between intense theatrical materiality of Kiefer's work and the cathedral of light. It presents an attempt to exorcize the essential evil and brutality of our century and builds a memorial for the younger generations. Kiefer explores our past and memories in a labyrinthic approach and a philosophical, metaphoric and poetic personal form. His world is extraordinarily inventive and embraces universal themes that shape our individual and collective histories and destinies.

Anselm Kiefer, © Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication.
Photo Marc Domage

Monumenta 2007 is the very first ambitious major exhibition of a long serie, where renowned international contemporary artists will offer to a large public a venue in an exceptional architectural environment. The American sculptor Richard Serra in 2008 and French artist Christian Boltanski in 2009 will follow Kiefer. This exhibition is extremely well documented and allows us to understand the coherence and multiple sources of the artist's work. Whether taken from history, poetry, Kabbalah, philosophies or from mythology, all his sources are evoked and analyzed as to give us the appropriate understanding of this huge body of work. Speeches of the artist himself help us to develop our empathy and understanding of his own world.

Born under the bombshells in Germany in 1945, raised during after-war reconstruction and Nuremberg trial, Kiefer keeps exploring the great forces of traumatic European history, mainly the Second World War. By doing this, he explores all the wars, real and mythological. He confronts us to the fundamental experiences of human existence: the human being opposed to Nature, to Cosmos, to History, to Philosophy and Religions. Also confronted to space and time and to his infinite possibilities as well as his undeniable power of destruction. The human being and the Tower of Babel's syndrome are evoked through three towers built under the glass cathedral, among which are some pure ruins.

Anselm Kiefer, esquisse du projet, Monumenta 2007
©ÊMinistère de la culture et de la communication, Sandra Saab

The emotional power of Kiefer's universe is very strong due to a successful fusion of imagery, medium and monumentality. This monumentality of his powerful works challenges our bodies. His installation of overwhelming and numerous works are built as to give us a strong feeling of commitment to his universe and to our world. We lose and find ourselves at will. His evocations of literature through allusive texts of beloved poets and writers move our minds and enlarge our own vision and references. It helps us to understand our own world and memories, and to explore the complexity of our origins. The materiality of his media, his infinite esthetic of Arte Povera and neo-expressionist art speak intensively to our senses. Intricate accretions and strata, accumulations of media and inclusions of diverse elements define a spatial and visual landscape of its own.

By reappropriating his country's foundation myths, Kiefer mixes form and narrative to invent a new kind of "history painting". He challenges us to question our sense of belonging, the complexity of our origins and takes us for a plunge into the depth of introspection. Guilt, identity, link to nature, earth or cosmos are the leitmotiv of his oeuvre.

Anselm Kiefer, "Andromeda", 2001
© Anselm Kiefer et Editions du Regard.

Each of the seven structures or "Houses" built in the Grand Palais has its own identity, theme, space and energy, but all act as templa and invite us to a tactical, emotional and intellectual journey. "Land of fog" inspired by Ingeborg Bachman's poem Nebelland combines ancient Egypt, Aztec sacrificial rites, and Bachman's poetry, and explores the destiny of civilizations. "The secret of the ferns" refers to Paul Celan and to the notion of invincibility and immortality. "The milky way" evokes the circle of time that links man to the cosmos. "Aperiatur terra" refers to the Book of Isaiah and to the evocation of re-birth through a series of huge, brightly colored canvasses. "Journey to the end of the night" is a tribute to Ferdinand Celine, thirty pictures telling the nihilistic account of a heroe's journey. "Falling stars" is setting a monumental case of books made from lead, included in broken glass, symbolizing the concept of falling stars and the fragility of memories and knowledge. "Palm sunday" evokes the contrast between the glorious entry of the Christ arriving in Jerusalem and the suffering of Passion.

Anselm Kiefer, "J'ai vu le pays du brouillard, j'ai mangé le coeur du brouillard", 1997.

Kiefer's Monumenta installation begun in his hill-studio in Barjac, a particular place for meditation and inspiration, came to fruition at the Grand Palais. The result is overwhelming, deep, powerful, demanding. His oeuvre appears as a patient, mature and fertile elaboration of works of art bringing emotion, spirituality and intelligence.

Edith Herlemont-Lassiat
Paris, july 2007

Anselm Kiefer, "Dein Haus ritt die finstere Welle", 2006.
Photos André Morin et Charles Duprat, © Anselm Kiefer et Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac.

Anselm Kiefer, Vue d'une installation d'Anselm Kiefer. Atelier de l'artiste, Barjac. Monumenta 2007

Anselm Kiefer, vue de tableaux en préparation pour la maison "Voyage au bout de la nuit".
Atelier d'Anselm Kiefer à Barjac, Monumenta 2007.
© Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication. Photo Marc Domage.