Anselm Kiefer, Hoor al Qasimi on Sharjah, a Picasso Blue Period mystery

Feb 14, 2025

Guest

Lena Fritsch

Guest

Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi

Guest

Barnaby Wright

Lena Fritsch, curator of Anselm Kiefer's exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum, shares insights on Kiefer's early works that reflect profound historical themes. Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi discusses the significance of the Sharjah Biennial, emphasizing community engagement and advocacy in contemporary art. Barnaby Wright reveals a hidden mystery beneath Picasso's 'Portrait of Mateu Fernández de Soto,' shedding light on the artist's Blue Period and emotional depth. Together, they celebrate art's capacity to connect history, culture, and individual narratives.

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ANECDOTE

Kiefer's 80th Birthday Shows

Anselm Kiefer's 80th birthday is marked by several exhibitions, including an early works show at the Ashmolean Museum.
The show begins with more recent autumn-themed paintings to introduce Kiefer to a broader audience.

INSIGHT

Baselitz as Kiefer Collector

Georg Baselitz, often seen as Kiefer's contemporary, was an early collector of his work.
This fact highlights a shared interest in exploring Germany's difficult history through figuration and landscape.

INSIGHT

Confronting Germany's Past

Kiefer and Baselitz, unlike other artists, explored Germany's troubled past through figuration.
Kiefer's early works, like his "Occupations" performances, probed uncomfortable questions about Nazi ideology.

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Next month, the German artist Anselm Kiefer will be 80, and the first of a number of shows internationally to mark this landmark moment opened this week at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK. It focuses on his early works, and Ben Luke visits Oxford to discuss this pivotal moment in his career with Lena Fritsch, the curator of the exhibition. The latest edition of the biennial in the United Arab Emirate of Sharjah opened earlier this month. The Art Newspaper’s correspondent Dale Berning Sawa visited during opening week and spoke to Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, the president and director of Sharjah Art Foundation, which runs the biennial, about this year’s edition, her journey in art, and her role in establishing the biennial as a leading art world event. And this episode’s Work of the Week is Portrait of Mateu Fernández de Soto (1901) by Pablo Picasso, a painting from the artist’s Blue Period. Conservators at The Courtauld Institute in London have discovered an image of a mystery woman hidden beneath this portrait of De Soto, Picasso’s friend and fellow artist. We talk to Barnaby Wright, deputy head of The Courtauld Gallery, about the painting and the image beneath it. The work features in a new exhibition at the gallery, Goya to Impressionism. Masterpieces from the Oskar Reinhart Collection.

Anselm Kiefer: Early Works, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK, 14 February-15 June; Anselm Kiefer: Where Have All the Flowers Gone, Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, 7 March-9 June; Kiefer / Van Gogh, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 28 June-26 October; Anselm Kiefer: Becoming the Ocean, Saint Louis Art Museum, US, 18 October 2025-25 January 2026

To carry, the 16th Sharjah Biennial, until 15 June 2025.

The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Goya to Impressionism. Masterpieces from the Oskar Reinhart Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 14 February-26 May.

The Art Newspaper’s book The Year Ahead 2025, an authoritative guide to the year’s unmissable art exhibitions, museum openings and significant art events, is still available to buy at theartnewspaper.com for £14.99 or the equivalent in your currency. Buy it here.

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