Celebrating Joseph Beuys' 100th Birthday
Joseph Beuys: Social Sculpture
Director: Lutz Mommartz,
1969
b/w, no words,
11:41 minutes
Social sculpture is an art-theoretical term used to describe art that aims to have a formative effect on society. Societies, actions and processes in which people creatively change conditions and shape them are also referred to in this way. On the basis of an extended concept of art, the German artist Joseph Beuys used these terms to explain his idea of a society-changing art. In explicit contrast to an understanding based on formal aesthetics, the concept of art propagated by Beuys includes those human actions that are aimed at structuring and shaping society. Thus, the concept of art is no longer limited to the materially tangible artifact.
(c) Lutz Mommartz
Lutz Mommartz, born in Erkelenz in 1934, initially worked for the Düsseldorf city administration. In 1967, Mommartz began shooting 16-mm films. In the same year, his film Selbstschüsse won him a film prize at the international experimental film festival in Knocke-le-Zoute, which received worldwide attention. On October 1, 1975, he founded a film class at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, Department of Art Education Münster. In 1977 he received the Federal Film Award in silver for "Als wär's von Beckett" and in 1978 for "Der Garten Eden". In 1978 he took over the professorship for film at what is now the Münster Art Academy. Mommartz lives and works in Düsseldorf.
Back
