Anselm Kiefer: hortus conclusus

hortus conclusus is a solo exhibition of new work by the German painter and sculptor Anselm Kiefer, which emphasizing the allegorical aspect of the landscape, the exhibition's title means "Enclosed Garden" in Latin and is derived from a book in the Hebrew Bible called Song of Songs or Song of Solomon.

In Medieval and Renaissance Europe, the term described a portrait of the Virgin Mary in a walled garden, a sanctuary for meditation. For the artist, the idea of hortus conclusus offered a view of nature that was both sublime and idyllic, with themes of growth, renewal and the cycle of life. As in the tradition of East Asian painting, his landscapes transcended direct representation and instead expressed through art and poetry a response to the forms and forces of nature.

From the 1970s to the present, his landscapes are central to his practice, rooted in the symbolism of creation and destruction, history and memory. The canvases on display envelop the viewer in rich colors and layers of thick paint, straw, and other materials, and are inscribed with poetic and mythological allusions. Some paintings depict burned or barren land, while others depict lush growth and seasonal changes.

Anselm Kiefer - << hortus conclusus>>
Date: 17 May – 5 Aug 2023
Gallery: Gagosian
Address: 7/F Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, Central, Hong Kong
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