Joseph Beuys | Exhibition

Description

Exhibition

Joseph Beuys

Open access. Ask at reception. The Story Behind the Bone - Space of Pain by the artist Joseph Beuys, is a space that calls for withdrawal and isolation from the outside world.

Reception

Behind the Bone - Space of Pain is one of the founding works of the ”la Caixa” Foundation Contemporary Art Collection. It was acquired in 1985 and permanently installed at CaixaForum Barcelona since 2002.
It is one of the last works by Joseph Beuys, one of the key artists of the second half of the 20th century and the initiator of new avenues of artistic exploration essential to the development of contemporary art.

SCHMERZRAUM IS AN INTERIOR SPACE THAT CALLS FOR CONFOLLOWMENT, CONCENTRATION, SELF-AWARENESS, AND REUNION. THE WORK SYMBOLIZES THE PAIN THAT COME WITH KNOWLEDGE

Joseph Beuys's (Krefeld, 1921 – Düsseldorf, 1986) discourse stems from a belief in the universal power of human creation and the conviction that art can bring about revolutionary changes. According to him, "every human being is a potential artist," alluding to the fact that everyone should be able to develop their own creativity. A defender of the notion of social sculpture (according to which sculpture does not need to produce objects, but rather perform actions or communicate thoughts that shape people's consciousness), Beuys coined the concept of "extended art," with which he promoted the integration of art and life to achieve a state in which the individual could live in harmony with the social and natural environment.

In 1983, Beuys presented the installation "Hinter dem Knochen wird gezählt - Schmerzraum" at the Konrad Fischer Gallery in Düsseldorf. To achieve this, he completely transformed the gallery space and covered the walls with lead. He placed a lit light bulb on the ceiling, next to which hung two silver rings of slightly different sizes. Schmerzraum exemplifies Beuys's interest in exploring the metaphorical and symbolic connections between natural phenomena and philosophical systems. The installation represents the principle of reduction, hermeticism, and isolation from the outside world. One of the possible interpretations of this installation, based on the relationships and contrasts that can be established between its different elements, is that it alludes to the biography of individuals, that is, the period of time between birth and death.