Now it's time to head over to my favorite new space in London, White Cube Bermondsey (see Oct 2011 blog) to attend a lecture "Talk: Configuring Catastrophe: Anselm Kiefer (b. Donaueschingen 1945) in the 20th Century and After" by Jay Winter, the Charles J. Stille Professor of History at Yale University. The lecture provided many interesting historical facts about Germany and sets the stage to understand Kiefer's oeuvre. The exhibition "Il Mistero delle Cattedrali" (Mystery of the Cathedrals) is staged across 11,000 square feet of gallery space. The titles of Kiefer's works are indeed relevant to decipher his practice. The multi layered references allude to a myriad of topics including, Christian mysticism, medieval history, Kabbalah, alchemy over the ages as well as Greek, Roman and Norse mythologies. What a challenge it is to absorb the layers, symbols and references. However, you may simply choose to enjoy it visually as the exhibition is magical and empowering!
