German artist Anselm Kiefer, known for his artistic vision combining painting and philosophy, will be the protagonist of the exhibition scene in Valencia in the coming days. His words, collected in a recent interview with The Times, reflect a constant struggle and unwavering determination, comparing himself to Vincent Van Gogh in his perseverance.
The Hortensia Herrero Art Center (CAHH) will host this important exhibition, which represents the first solo show open to the public since the museum's inauguration. This initiative marks a turning point for the young center, which until now had primarily exhibited works from its private collection. The exhibition route will be modified to accommodate the artist's monumental works, with an inauguration scheduled for next week.
Installation work has been underway for weeks in the old Palacio Valeriola, which has already received the funds for this major undertaking by the CAHH for the season. The exhibition, organized in close collaboration with the artist, has a similar precedent in Spain almost two decades ago at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
“"Talent means nothing. It just means someone can paint a pretty red or draw a pretty line. That's not art. I am like Vincent [Van Gogh]. I have no talent, it's true. For the first 20 or 30 years I was always discouraged. I struggled like Van Gogh. But determination is the first condition of the artist: determination, endurance, rebellion, and never giving up."
The arrival of Kiefer in Valencia is an artistic event of great relevance and a logistical challenge for the center's team, which already features several pieces by the German artist in its permanent collection. Some of these works, which reference figures such as Baudelaire, Schubert, or the German mythology of Walhalla, include a half-ton piece that required reinforcing the space's structure.
Among the novelties, the exhibition will include one of the largest works created by Anselm Kiefer to date, Danaë, over thirteen meters wide. This work, which reproduces the interior of Tempelhof Airport in Berlin and references the myth of Danaë with a golden rain, had only been seen in an exhibition in New York in 2022 and can now be viewed for the first time in Europe.
The opening of Kiefer's exhibition in Valencia will coincide with the celebrations for Museum Day. The CAHH has prepared a special program that includes activities such as the concert Cuarteto en Kiefer (May 15 at 8:30 PM), the family workshop Kiefer: ver, oír, crear (May 16 at 12:00 PM), and the Cuentacuentos Kiefer (May 17 at 12:00 PM). Additionally, on May 18, the center will open its doors to the public free of charge.
