Anselm Kiefer, Johannis-Nacht

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In 1990, Anselm Kiefer (b. Donaueschingen, 1945; lives and works in France) received the renowned Goslarer Kaiserring art award in recognition of his oeuvre. In connection with the prize, he created a key Johannis-Nacht. Set up in a former stable and three basement vaults beneath the museum’s medieval home, it is Kiefer’s first permanent installation outside his studio. It unites a variety of motifs drawn from Christian-Germanic folklore, Jewish Kabbalah, and ancient mythology, all of which have had profound influence on Kiefer’s oeuvre. The characters that appear in his pictures include the Greek hero Jason, Lilith who gives birth to demons, the Jewish God pouring himself forth into the world, and the Holocaust. A shattered painter’s palette attests to the power and impotence of art. As the Mönchehaus Museum reopens after renovations, Johannis-Nacht is once again accessible to the public, and this book presents comprehensive documentation of the work. With an essay by Aeneas Bastian.