Sky Arte celebrates a docu-film the centenary of Joseph Beuys' birth

On the occasion of the centenary of Joseph Beuys’ birth, a docu-film on the life of the visionary German artist who made his mark on international art history will air tonight on Sky Arte at 9:15 p.m. Indeed, on May 12, 1921, Beuys, an artist who more than 30 years after his death continues to be extraordinarily vital, was born in Krefeld, Germany.

Beuys - The Artist as Provocateur, this is the title of Andres Veyel’s film, which is also available on demand and streaming on NOW, aims to reconstruct an unconventional portrait of the artist, an intimate look at his art, his world and his ideas through never-before used audio and video sources.

The making of the docu-film took about three years: a starting point was 300 hours of video, endless audio material by and about the artist, the collections of more than fifty international photographers, totaling more than 20,000 shots, more than sixty meetings with witnesses of the time, and about twenty interviews.

Through an open narrative, the documentary chronicles the artist through some of the pivotal points of his biography and career: the trauma of war and his plane crash in 1943, some of his most famous performances, such as Fettecke (1982), I Like America and America Likes Me (1974), 7000 Oak Trees (1982), criticism of the art system, teaching at the Academy, and political engagement.

“In the film, Beuys persistently and subversively poses themes that continue to remain relevant thirty years after his death, such as the need for a radical democratization that does not fear the new banking and monetary systems, or the need for equal opportunity in a world of growing inequality,” director Andres Veyel points out. “Beuys insists on the possibility that the world can be changed, according to the capabilities of each individual person: Nothing must remain as it is.”

The film Beuys - The Artist as Provocateur by Andres Veyel was produced by Zero one film in co-production with Terz Filmproduktion, SWR/ARTE and WDR.

Photo Buby Durini. Courtesy De Domizio Durini Historical Archives.

Sky Arte celebrates a docu-film the centenary of Joseph Beuys' birth

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