Starting From Language

In a 1985 series of “Lectures on one’s own country: Germany”, given at the Munich Kammerspiele, Joseph Beuys said that he developed his work “from language.” He regarded language as equal to visual art—a flexible material through which every individual could physically, intellectually, and communicatively participate in the process of re-ordering society. His exploration of language ranges from silence to hours of debate, from animal sounds to precise discussions of concepts and puzzling writings. Accordingly, the chapters are divided into the themes of “silence,” “sounds,” “concepts,” “writing,” “mystery,” “legends,” and “speech.” Both exhibition and catalogue assemble sculptures, drawings, installations, films, posters, and documents from the Nationalgalerie, the Sammlung Marx, the Kupferstichkabinett, and the Art Library of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Texts by: Claudia Ehgartner, Barbara Gronau, Kolja Kohlhoff, Maja Naef, Stefan Ripplinger, Nina Schallenberg, Holger Schulze, Tobias Vogt, Matthias Weiß, and Wiese.