ALL IN THE PRESENT MUST BE TRANSFORMED: MATTHEW BARNEY AND JOSEPH BEUYS
6 June – 2 September 2007
All in the Present Must Be Transformed: Matthew Barney and Joseph Beuys’ will examine key affinities between the two artists, who, though separated by generation and geography, share many aesthetic and conceptual concerns. The exhibition will focus on their metaphoric use of materials, their interest in metamorphosis, their employment of narrative structures, and the relationship between action and documentation in their work. The show's contents will be drawn largely from the Guggenheim Museum's permanent collection and will pair a selection of drawings and vitrines and sculptures by both artists. The presentation will also examine the performative side of their practices, demonstrating the way both have theatricalized their sculptural production. Curated by Nancy Spector, the exhibition will premiere at the Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin before traveling to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice during the 2007 Venice Biennale.
