"Thinking, Talking, Doing: Joseph Beuys for Children and Young People"
2004-04-05 until 2004-08-01
Stiftung Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum
Duisburg, , DE Germany

“I nourish myself by waste of energy“ and “He who doesn´t want to think must go” - these statements by Joseph Beuys were printed on postcards. What would we think if we would receive a postcard like this. Perhaps we would wonder or even be angry about “such rubbish”. Joseph Beuys didn´t want to annoy anybody - on the contrary – using his art he wanted to communicate with as many people as possible. He didn´t consider it to be a waste of time but a kind of food in the sense of power and energy.

During the Documenta 5, a large exhibition in Kassel in 1972, Joseph Beuys had discussed with visitors over 100 days. This took quite a lot of energy. Power, strength and energy were important themes in many of his works. The exhibition “Thinking, talking, doing! Joseph Beuys for children and young people” shows works of art concerning themes which maybe surprising, familiar or strange but won´t leave the spectator speechless or indifferent.

“The House of Mysteries”

There are many mysterious things. And perhaps each and every matter bears a mystery. Sometimes works of art seem to be inexplicable at first glance. Only if one looks at it carefully, thinks and talks about it with other people, concepts and ideas tend to come about.

“Rich in calories – Fat and chocolate”

Food and eating habits have an important influence on our every day life. As to Beuys, food was very important to him. It was a source of strength, prerequisite for survival as well as physical and spiritual enrichment.

“Communication”

Using the telephone, writing SMS and letters are possibilities to communicate. How do you prefer to communicate?

“Toys of art”

Beuys tended to use toys in many of his works. In this exhibition, you can discover the objects he chose and the games he wanted to play with us.

“Tools of art”

Hammers and screwdrivers, old tin cans or spoons are Beuys’s tools which appear in his art. How did he transform them and what do they mean?

A catalogue is published by Kerber Verlag, Bielefeld (14,- EUR).

Exhibition in cooperation with: Stiftung Museum Schloss Moyland Kunstmuseum Bonn Stiftung Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg Museum van Bommel van Dam, Venlo

Supported by: Ministerium für Städtebau und Wohnen, Kultur und Sport des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen Landschaftsverband Rheinland Peter Klöckner-Stiftung

IMAGE
Joseph Beuys,
Mammut, 1960/65,
Objekt,
Stiftung Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg,
Foto: Octavian Beldiman, ©: VG Bildkunst, Bonn

Related Links:

Indepth Arts Resources for Germany

Other Important Exhibitions in Germany