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Joseph Beuys

Joseph Beuys was one of the most prominent and controversial German artists of the past 30 years. Sculptor, performance artist, teacher and maverick politician - when he died last year, Beuys left behind him a unique and provocative inheritance. Paradoxically, his irreverent art now fills the museums of the world and is bought and sold for fortunes. Tonight's programme follows Beuys's remarkable career from World War II, when, as a Stuka pilot he crashed in the Crimea, to his increasingly political role in post-war Germany as co-founder of the Green Party. Did he achieve his goal and help to heal the wounds of German history through art, or was he finally a charlatan?

English
  • Originally Aired June 6, 1987
  • Runtime 90 minutes
  • Network BBC Two
  • Created May 8, 2013 by
    Administrator admin
  • Modified June 11, 2023 by
    zoated
Name Type Role
Caroline Tisdall Director