I was invited to the press opening last Friday of the new Anselm Keifer exhibition, Fur Andrea Emmo, at Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac in Pantin.
Thaddaeus Ropac opened his second gallery in the gritty suburb of Pantin outside of Paris, a number of years ago. The 54,000 square feet former ironworks factory, which was transformed into a sleek gallery with pristine white walls and towering ceilings, now houses large-scale exhibitions, sculptures, and installations plus it’s also used as a performance space for music, screenings, talks and satellite events.
I’ve always been a big fan of Kiefer’s work and vividly remember his retrospective at the Pompidou in 2015, having seen it twice.
Kiefer has always been heavily influenced by philosophy and literature and Fur Andrea Emmo was an Italian philosopher from the mid-20th century, whose nihilist thinking fuelled his work.
A disclaimer: I am not an art critic, have no formal training or education in art, and have never taken an art history course. I am simple in my words, as I don’t have the command of language or vocabulary that more experienced art writers have. However, I do know what I like when it comes to art and can express my opinions in an intelligent way.
To simplify the 20 plus works to their basic form for context, they are landscapes.
The work is a revelation. The textures, the use of metal, the use of burnishing, and three dimensionality is like nothing I’ve seen before. So many times, I wanted to take my hand and feel the texture and roughness of the paintings, but of course had to stop myself. All at once the paintings can seem menacing, but eventual beauty overwhelms you. In a gloom-ridden dark canvas emerges specks of color that give hope and light. A beautiful landscape with tree reflections on a lake has an explosion of gray metal interrupting it. A glass box has a black cloud hanging from it with a series of fighter planes gliding over cracked ground, again promising gloom but yet there’s beauty in it.
There was a conversation with Kiefer with one of the gallery heads and an art journalist. Kiefer is tall and striking looking and had the most beautiful and expressive hands. He spoke eloquently about his work but also had a sense of humor.
I don’t think my photos even come close to doing the paintings justice, but I have posted them anyway so you can at least get a glimmer.
Kiefer is already one of the greatest artists of this era; I think he will stand the test of time in next fifty to hundred years and be regarded in the same league as the great masters of the 19th and 20th century.
Anselm Kiefer Fur Andrea Emmo
Until May 31, 2018
Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac Pantin
69 Ave. du General Leclerc, 93500 Pantin
Open 10 AM to 7 PM Tuesday to Saturday
https://www.ropac.net/contact/paris-pantin
RER E, direction Chelles or Villiers-sur-Marne, station "Pantin". Turn left behind the city hall and walk straight down on avenue Général Leclerc. The gallery will be on your left after the bridge (5 minutes walking distance) Métro Line 5, station "Eglise de Pantin", exit rue Delizy. Turn right into rue Delizy, afterwards turn right into avenue Général Leclerc. The gallery will be on your left after the bridge (10 minutes walking distance)
There are also buses that go to Pantin, but make sure the stop is Eglise Pantin.
Anselm Kiefer on the right
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