The Saint Louis Art Museum in October opened a major exhibition of German artist Anselm Kiefer — the first American retrospective of his work since 2005. The exhibition, curated in part by SLAM’s Director Min Jung Kim, encompasses multiple halls, three-story canvases, and mixed media, including paintings created specifically by the artist that invoke his time on the Mississippi.
“I think this is a really extraordinary and exciting moment for the St. Louis Art Museum, for us to be organizing and presenting one of the world’s most renowned artists,” said Kim to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The retrospective has garnered significant national attention, including a visit from CBS Sunday Morning and Forbes, which declared St. Louis a “world-class art destination.”
The Bottom Line
Such an important exhibition by a living artist underscores the fact that St. Louis is a major player in the art world, and its impressive collection includes, as Kim said, “one of the largest and most diverse collections of 20th century German art in particular.” The fact that this major exhibition is also free is a testament to the museum’s commitment to and position within the St. Louis community.