100 Years of Joseph Beuys

Activist. Teacher. Innovator. Art Theoretician. Politician. Joseph Beuys.

The praxis, artwork and activism of Joseph Beuys (1921-1986) ignited dialogue in several disciplines, from humanism and philosophy to anthropology. Beuys had a tremendous influence on the international contemporary art discourse in the 20th century. His principle objective was to broaden the definition and expand the borders of the arts. Beuys’s statement “Everybody is an artist (Jeder Mensch ist ein Künstler)” refers to his belief in the universality of human creativity and how art can generate revolutionary change. As a professor at the Arts Academy of Düsseldorf (Kunstakademie Düsseldorf), his enduring legacy reminds us of the debates about the dynamics of the formal art education system and the resulting impact on society.

Commemorating 100 years of Joseph Beuys in 2021, Goethe-Institut Indonesien is organizing a series of events in Jakarta, Bandung and Yogyakarta in collaboration with Asep Topan, Erik Pauhrizi, Iwan Wijono and Tisna Sanjaya. Beuys’s spirit and ideas will be explored and reinterpreted from the Indonesian point of view through public lectures, online and offline workshops, artwork presentations, and documentary film screenings available on the Goethe-on-Demand online portal. Stay updated with the event series from October to December 2021 through social media channels and #100TahunBeuys.