"William Kentridge"
2004-03-27 until 2004-05-21
K20 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen
Dusseldorf, , DE Germany

The South African artist William Kentridge has become known in Europe and North America for his animated films that are based on charcoal drawings. The narratives reflect upon the profound, radical changes in South African society over recent decades. The central theme in his films is the individual within an interchange of desire, emotion and ethical responsibility. The identity of the individual is interpreted by the artist to be a product that comprises changing concepts of historical events. In this way, the question arises as to the social position of the artist and the role of artistic practice in today’s world.

The exhibition includes films such as "Felix in Exile" (1994), "Shadow Procession" (1999) as well as more recent productions such as "Zeno Writing" (2002), "Fragments for Méliés" (2003) and "Tide Table" (2003). Drawings, prints, photos and sculptures will be exhibited in an "Archive Room", supplemented by Kentridge with works by other artists who have inspired his creative development. Organised by Castello di Rivoli, Museo d’Arte Contemporanea in Turin, the Düsseldorf exhibition will also be on show at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Montréal and the Johannesburg Art Gallery. The exhibition’s curator is Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, an authority on Kentridge who has already organised several exhibitions of the artist’s works. The curator responsible for the exhibition in Düsseldorf is Anette Kruszynski.

Kentridge’s works have also been on view at Documenta X and XI, as well as in exhibitions such as "Ich ist etwas Anderes" (I is another) in Düsseldorf. In autumn 2003, he was awarded the internationally renowned Goslarer Kaiserring. A comprehensive retrospective was presented in 1998 by the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels.

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