Anselm Kiefer, Die Krähen (The Crows), 2019. Emulsion, oil, acrylic, gold leaf and straw on canvas. 280 x 760 cm Collection of the artist, courtesy White Cube Photo: Georges Poncet
Vincent van Gogh, Wheatfield with Crows, 1890
The exhibition was a unique collaborative effort between the two museums, and attracted almost 340,000 visitors. The presentation at the Van Gogh Museum explored the connection between Kiefer and Van Gogh for the first time, while the Stedelijk staged the first-ever presentation of all of Kiefer’s works in its collection, and focused on his long connection with Dutch collectors and museums. The artist showed new work in both museums, including two new large-scale installations at the Stedelijk, one of which lent the exhibition its title.
The exhibition opened in early March amid overwhelming media interest, with 150 journalists from the Netherlands and abroad in attendance. Visitors’ online feedback was were extremely enthusiastic during the entire run of the exhibition. Ongoing visitor surveys in both museums were exceptionally positive, averaging 9 points out of 10. The exhibition catalogue went through two reprints, and the English edition is now sold out.
Anselm Kiefer, The Starry Night, 2019, emulsion, oil, acrylic, shellac, straw, gold leaf, wood, wire, sediment of an electrolysis on canvas, 470 x 840 cm © Anselm Kiefer. Photo: Georges Poncet [Collection of the artist, courtesy White Cube]