2010: Anselm Kiefer at Gagosian Gallery
© Anselm Kiefer / Gagosian Gallery Anselm Kiefer’s “Next Year in Jerusalem” was unusual for both its subject matter and its installation style. All of the walls had been removed so you walked into one humongous room, in which had been placed a large number of tall vitrines, the highest among them reaching fifteen feet, some ten feet high by twenty feet wide. They were like separate living spaces sharing the same light and air as that of the spectators, but spatially and historically removed. The vitrines contained a great variety of different materials, imposing a broad spectrum of symbolism, the vitrines like inspired zoo cages, with the titles written by hand inside the glass, interrupting the viewing, bringing language into the exchange. The idiosyncratic quality of handwritten words versus institutional typefaces further reinforced this experience. Being German, and having come of age on the heels of the Second World War, Kiefer has been progressively ...