Commemorative acts for the Joseph Beuys Centenary 2021
In December 1966, the avant-garde artist Joseph Beuys gave a performance in Düsseldorf entitled “Manresa”. This piece was directly inspired by the spirituality of Ignatius of Loyola and was testament to the strong influence of the saint on his work. Years later, in 1994, his two collaborators, Christiansen and Nörgaard, paid homage to the city with the performance entitled “Manresa-Central Station” and the installation of the Creu de Beuys [Beuys' Cross] at the foot of the Pont Vell.
Beuys (1921-1986) was one of the most relevant conceptual artists of the twentieth century. He was a prominent exponent of the Fluxus artistic movement, which was very popular during the 1960s. Through his performance art, plastic creations and ways of thinking, Beuys expanded the concept of total and transformative art. He also introduced essential concepts in contemporary art, such as the premise that society can be moulded like a sculpture through human creativity and the idea that anyone can be an artist.
In 2021, the centenary of the birth of this influential German artist will be celebrated around the world. To mark this milestone, an international programme has been put together that includes exhibitions, conferences and artistic and informative activities in various countries such as Australia, Japan, Turkey, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and Germany. Barcelona, with the exhibition currently being held at the La Virreina Centre de la Imatge, and Manresa, with the commemorative activities to be held in the future, both feature in this international programme which can be consulted at www.beuys2021.de.
MANRESA 2021 PROGRAMME
· Thursday 28 · 6.00 pm
Björn Nörgaard will meet with local artists at the Manresa School of Art.
· Friday 29 · 10.00 am
Björn Nörgaard will meet with A-Level art students from the Institut Lluís de Peguera
· FRIDAY 29 · 6.30 pm · ESPAI PLANA DE L’OM
LET’S TALK ABOUT ART, LET’S TALK ABOUT BEUYS
“MANRESA, A SPIRITUAL GEOGRAPHY” · BOOK PRESENTATION
Official presentation of the new book based on Joseph Beuys’ MANRESA performance entitled “Manresa, a Spiritual Geography”. It will be presented by Dr Pilar Parcerisas, curator of the book, and the Tenov publishing house.
Followed by,
BJÖRN NÖRGAARD · CONFERENCE-PERFORMANCE
A close collaborator of Joseph Beuys, this Danish sculptor will deliver a presentation on his participation in MANRESA (1966) and the MANRESA HBF performance (1994) in the Bages capital.
· Saturday 30
Location work by Björn Nörgaard and preparation for the “Where is Element 3?” exhibition for March 2022.