The 100th birthday of Josep Beuys has already prompted the art scene in 2021 to hold several commemorative anniversary exhibitions and a variety of events in honor of the pioneering action artist. The Krefeld-born artist, who died in 1986, stands out in art history: he made a name for himself beyond the art scene with experimental-looking fat installations (keyword »remote fat corner«). He succeeded in straddling humanism, social philosophy, anthroposophy, and an expanded concept of art - reason enough for the Kunstmuseum Basel, in commemoration of Beuys, to take its own experimental paths for once: 24 Stunden – für Joseph Beuys. Die Ursache liegt in der Zukunft (engl.: 24 Hours for Joseph Beuys. The Cause Lies in the Future) is a 24-hour project with a varied program that sometimes allows visitors to spend the night in the museum. It starts on October 23, 2021, at 5 p.m. and ends exactly 24 hours later, on October 24, at 5 p.m.
During the one-day event, visitors will be reminded of Beuys's aesthetic ideas, be allowed to return to the places of his ideal ideas and experience his artistic work through performances, sound experiments, speculations on the future and walks through the city. In allusion to his frequently used working material fat, the organizer will serve greasy food at the event. The focus is not all on the artist's works, but rather on reliving the zeitgeist and the figure of Beuys himself. The actions vary between referencing real historical events and loosely linking them to the artist and his concept of the work. What also makes the event particularly inviting is that admission is free.
