Anselm Kiefer

This book was published on the occasion of Anselm Kiefer: Questi scritti, quando verranno bruciati, daranno finalmente un po’ di luce (Andrea Emo), an exhibition of new work by the artist at the Palazzo Ducale in Venice in 2022–23. Loosely translated as “These writings, when burned, will finally cast a little light,” the title is derived from the writings of Venetian philosopher Andrea Emo (1901–1983). Kiefer was invited by the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia to present a site-specific installation of paintings that respond to both the Sala dello Scrutinio—one of the most important spaces in the Palazzo Ducale—and the history of Venice.

The publication features reproductions of the fourteen paintings in the commissioned work, as well as two other paintings from the show, alongside installation photography. It includes original essays by Elisabetta Barisoni, Gabriella Belli, Jean de Loisy, Massimo Donà, Salvatore Settis, and Janne Sirén that explore the significance of the presentation in relation to the history of Venice, Emo’s philosophy, and Kiefer’s larger practice, and a conversation between the artist and Hans Ulrich Obrist that illuminates the impetus and meaning of the exhibition project. The catalogue also contains a letter from Kiefer to Belli and introductions by Luigi Brugnaro, the mayor of Venice; Mariacristina Gribaudi, president of the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia; and Emanuela Carpani, superintendent of archaeology, fine arts, and landscape for the City of Venice and the Lagoon, along with a selected exhibition history and brief chronology.