The announcement precedes the gallery’s forthcoming London exhibition Joseph Beuys: Utopia at the Stag Monuments, opening tomorrow. Curated by Norman Rosenthal, it presents rarely seen early works by the German artist. It also unites most of the original elements of his Stag Monuments, a bronze version of which is in the Tate Modern’s permanent collection, for the first time in the UK since its creation.
“Beuys is one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, a ground-breaking radical thinker in contemporary art whose profound influence endures today. It is a great privilege and honour to represent the works of this visionary artist on behalf of his estate and to work closely with his family,” the gallery said in a statement.
Beuys believed in the revolutionary power of art to unlock the potential for creativity and transform society. He expressed his utopian vision through art as well as lectures and political activism.
Norman Rosenthal says: “In a world that is now more than ever searching for new socio-economic solutions, the full significance of Beuys as an artist has barely begun to be investigated.”
