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The German artist Anselm Kiefer turns 80 this year and several shows will mark the occasion. A survey of early works at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford this month will be followed in March by an exhibition spread across the Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. The former will look at the influence of Vincent van Gogh on Kiefer's work, while the latter will debut a new 24m-long installation.
Below, the Van Gogh Museum director Emilie Gordenker and her fellow curator Edwin Becker have joined forces with the Stedelijk curator Leontine Coelewij to select five key books to help us understand more about Kiefer and his work.
Anselm Kiefer: Questi Scritti, Quando Verranno Bruciati, Daranno Finalmente Un Po' Di Luce (2022), edited by Gabriella Belli and Janne Sirén
“The monumental installation, which gives the title to the exhibition at the Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum, reflects the idea of a Gesamtkunstwerk. This idea has also been powerfully expressed by Kiefer’s series produced specially for the Palazzo Ducale in 2022 [during the Venice Biennale]. [This book illustrates] Kiefer’s impressive undertaking, which started with a quotation from the philosopher Andrea Emo: ‘These writings, when burned, will finally cast a little light’.”
In the Beginning: Anselm Kiefer & Photography (2024) by Jean de Loisy, Sebastien Delot, Heiner Bastian and Christian Weikop
“The use of photography as both practice and source material is a little-known aspect of Kiefer’s art that has played a central role throughout his career. As his artistry evolved, Kiefer continued to covet photography as the ‘sainted assistant’ for its ability to aid in capturing memory. Photography is at the core of Kiefer’s process and has always been present in the monumental pieces he has exhibited throughout his prolific career.”
Anselm Kiefer (2014) by Richard Davey, Kathleen Soriano and Christian Weikop
“The official catalogue to accompany Kiefer’s 2014 retrospective at the Royal Academy of Arts, featuring sculpture, paintings and monumental installations that span his 40-year career. The catalogue includes in-depth essays exploring the themes of history, religion and mythology in Kiefer’s work, as well as numerous studio photographs taken by the artist himself.”
Anselm Kiefer Studios (2013) by Danièle Cohn
“Kiefer has worked in many different studios, in Karlsruhe, Odenbach, Rome, Barjac and Croissy-Beaubourg. In this beautifully illustrated volume, we can see how his studio is not only the space where he develops monumental works, but also the physical representation of his mind and memory.”
Selected Poems and Prose of Paul Celan (2002) by Paul Celan (trans. John Felstiner)
“At school, in 1958, Kiefer encountered the poetry of Paul Celan, a Romanian-born, German-speaking Jewish poet whose work profoundly resonated with him. Celan’s work has been a constant presence in Kiefer’s paintings since his adolescence. This dialogue has intensified in recent years, particularly in 2020 during the lockdown. This volume includes youthful lyrics, unpublished poems and prose.”
• Anselm Kiefer: Early Works, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 14 February-15 June
• Anselm Kiefer: Where Have All the Flowers Gone, Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, 7 March-9 June
• Kiefer/Van Gogh, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 28 June-26 October