Neue Alchemie / New Alchemy

Two decades after the death of Joseph Beuys, a new generation of artists have begun to pick up the categories he introduced and started to develop them for the present day. Among the multitude of references to the œuvre of the Düsseldorf master, the most conspicuous are the “poor”—organic and ephemeral—materials. Associations are also unearthed by the historical and metaphysical aspects of the works as well as the thematization of transformations and processes of formation. In actions and performances, the objects are assigned a significance which also incorporates the space where they are displayed. This reference presents 11 selected artists who, although they have only been known to the public for a few years, have already attracted a high degree of attention. Numerous illustrations, accompanied by brief commentaries, provide insights into their latest works. This bilingual edition includes English and German.