“But I believe above all that I wanted to build the palace of my memory, because my memory is my only homeland.” Anselm Kiefer
Kiefer has followed on from Joseph Beuys to get the German people to face up to what they did in the second world war.
However I have been to Berlin and the current generation of Germans are very kind.
I have watched his documentary on YouTube at least ten times and he is my number one artist and intellectual hero.
“Let’s talk of a system that transforms all the social organisms into a work of art, in which the entire process of work is included… something in which the principle of production and consumption takes on a form of quality. It’s a Gigantic project.” Joseph Beuys
Kiefer has moved his studio around and now has a massive studio in France with thousands of huge paintings and sculptures and site specific installations and its so big that his staff have to ride around on bicycles to get from place to place.
I hope Anselm donates some of his artwork to be auctioned at Sothebys to build hospitals, universities, schools and orphanages in the developing world as he is rich beyond belief and can afford it.
Perhaps other contemporary artists like my other favourite contemporary artists Yoshitomo Nara from Japan and Annish Kapoor from England can do the same.
Perhaps the auction at Sothebys could be over a few days at their auction houses in Hong Kong, London and New York.
It’s good for contemporary artists in the art world to donate art for auction at Sothebys as it increases the value of their work and boosts national prestige of the countries they are from.
But not poor emerging artists as I always say you need to put a roof over your own head before you can put it over anyone else.
Perhaps rich art collectors could donate a few Van Gogh’s and Basquiats as its good for your karma and as a tax right off as its a charitable donation.
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” Dalai Lama XIV, The Art of Happiness
One of my favourite paintings at the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney is a huge painting with a lead propeller by Kiefer.
The only thing I worry about is his cigar smoking as he is a German national treasure and needs to live as long as possible.
When Kiefer showed at the Venice Biennalie decades ago it was very controversial in intellectual circles as he tried to reclaim the intellectual writers and philosophers in his paintings that had been heroes of Hitler and the Nazis.
I made the joke that Kiefer’s paintings had to much patina but was probably just jealous of his massive talent and jealousy is not a healthy emotion according to the Dalai Lama.
Kiefer is kind of the Dalai Lamas loving cat and the problems of the German people are the fleas on him and his artwork and through his cathartic art practise delouses himself everyday.
It’s not comfortable having an itch you can’t scratch.
