Joseph Beuys, the artist renowned for seamlessly merging art and life, is currently being celebrated through a monographic online auction at the Lempertz auction house in Cologne. Running until April 22nd, this event offers collectors a unique opportunity to acquire works by the influential painter, sculptor, performer, and theorist. Beuys firmly believed that art served as a positive and healing force, capable of awakening individual creativity and initiating collective transformation.
The sale features a curated selection of over 50 works, all sourced from a single private German collection. This comprehensive catalog spans various phases of Beuys’s multifaceted artistic production, with estimates ranging from an accessible €200 up to €15,000.
Among the highlights are some of Beuys’s most iconic early multiples, such as “Intuition,” conceived as democratic and accessible tools for disseminating ideas. The auction also includes fundamental works from the 1960s, notably “Ja Ja Ja Ja Ja, Nee Nee Nee Nee,” alongside significant pieces from the 1970s, including “Buttocklifting” and “Zeige deine Wunde.” According to Lempertz, this “BEUYS BEUYS BEUYS” sale represents not only a significant market event but also an important moment for reflection on a pivotal figure in contemporary culture, whose legacy continues to challenge and engage the present.
Further notable lots include “Bruno Corà-Tee,” an artwork that references Bruno Corà, an influential Italian art historian and critic recognized for his extensive contributions to contemporary art studies. Corà played a crucial role in promoting and interpreting Beuys’s work in Italy. The selection also features several objects from the 1980s, such as “Ölkanne F.I.U.,” “Difesa della Natura,” and “Pala.” These pieces exemplify the artist’s mature period and his increasingly explicit engagement with social, political, and ecological themes. The auction is exclusively an online event.
