Anselm Kiefer has a deep conviction: that nothing is ever finished, that everything is in perpetual evolution within cycles which follow one after the other. In his new exhibition given at LaM, the German artist takes us on a journey into a cycle that puts Photography at the beginning.

This cycle is that of life, which fades before being reborn. An important symbolism for one whose existence began in the ruins of war and who, through artistic practice, took a lifetime to rebuild himself. And very quickly, the artist reveals his intentions to us by giving an evocative title at the start of the exhibition: Nigredo, the first step in making the philosopher's stone which consists of burning the putrid material. A philosophical way of affirming that the trauma of the past will not last, that it will serve as a force to build a better future.

The rest of the exhibition goes in this direction. From his early works to his study of myths and religions, including his fascination with the intriguing figure of Lilith, all the key stages of Anselm Kiefer's reconstruction are explored and depicted in photographs, each more striking. than the others. We discover the major role that the 3rd art had in his life, the chaos of his creative spaces, the landscapes that are most dear to his heart... The exhibition, with its heavy and imposing tones, ultimately becomes something gentle and intimate to the point that at the end of this journey, the one we generally associate with the figure of a tortured artist has become in our eyes someone much simpler, much human, and whose the apparent madness in fact constitutes proof of immense inner wealth. The circle has come full circle, life has resumed its course and little Anselm has become big...

LAM
From Oct. 6, 2023 to March 3, 2024