Part 4 of 5 Art History Lectures Celebrating the Centenary of Beuys’ birth
Presented by Victoria Martino
Tuesday, June 1 , 2021
6:30 PM
Individual tickets: $14 / $19
Dismissed from his academic post, due to his controversial admission policy and pedagogical methods, Beuys devoted himself to the expansion of his creative process. He founded several political organizations, including the Free International University for Creativity and Interdisciplinary Research in 1974, and the German Green Party in 1980. Increasingly engaged in the cause of political reform, he announced that society itself was the true work of art. He promulgated the idea of “social sculpture” in public lectures and “actions.” His final project, 7000 Oaks (1982-87), which continued for a year following his death, was the culmination of his environmental activism.
Join art historian Victoria Martino in a fascinating five-week art history lecture series, celebrating the centenary of Beuys’ birth (May 12, 1921).
Joseph Beuys (1921–1986)—sculptor, painter, draughtsman, conceptual artist, teacher, theorist, philosopher, and political activist—ranks among the most radical and revolutionary artists of the 20th century. A charismatic, compelling, and controversial creator of objects and ideas, his imagination inspired and influenced the trajectory of thought and theory up to our time.
From his provocative “Actions” of the ’60s and ’70s, to his massive environmental project, 7000 Oaks, Beuys dedicated his life and work to the causes of ecological, economic, and political reform. His anti-authoritarian approach galvanized all strata of society.
Drawing upon the factual and imaginal realms of alchemy, anthroposophy, botany, mythology, and sociobiology, Beuys proved conclusively that the purpose and power of art extend into all areas of life. His environmental and social concerns are as relevant today as they were in his own lifetime.
Martino, an internationally recognized curator, critic, and scholar of 20th century art, who lived and worked in Vienna during the 1990s, was personally drawn into the controversy that raged through the European art world in the years following the death of Beuys.
The lecture will be livestreamed via Zoom webinar. Ticket holders will receive a link before the lecture. Following the lecture, ticket holders will have 48-hour access to a recording.