The monumental installation Ages of the World is a milestone in Anselm Kiefer’s oeuvre, in which the core elements of his artistic practice converge. Evoking sights of ruins in the aftermath of a disaster – natural or man-made – it conveys an atmosphere of dystopic, post-apocalyptic future. At the same time, the work embodies a kind of artistic alchemy – a fusion of materials and techniques revealing hidden forces and myths that have the power to engender a transformation process. For Kiefer, chaos is a prerequisite for creation and devastation is a precondition for rebirth. This conception is expressed in Ages of the World, suggesting that destruction and decay hold the potential for regeneration.
Accompanying Kiefer’s installation here are works from the Museum’s contemporary art collection, including some of its most recent acquisitions. They echo the polyphonic nature of Kiefer’s work, illuminating the dynamics between matter, space, and time, and drawing the viewers into an experience of multilayered meanings and interpretations.
