Georg Baselitz: The Last Decade, now open at the Sakıp Sabancı Museum
Spread throughout the SSM’s gallery spaces and garden, the exhibition includes close to 100 monumental paintings and sculptures created by Baselitz over the past decade. Concurrently, a comprehensive selection of the artist’s prints will be on display at Akbank Sanat. Together, these works provide a comprehensive look into the artistic evolution that has defined Baselitz’s practice over a lifetime.
Since the 1980s, Georg Baselitz has had a profound influence on the international art world, forging a new identity for German art in the latter half of the twentieth century. His work has been deeply informed by personal experiences as well as Germany’s collective trauma and memory of the Nazi era. The majority of the works in this exhibition feature his characteristic technique of painting compositions upside down, an approach he has employed since 1969. By painting his motifs upside down, Baselitz challenges the boundaries between abstraction and figuration, revolutionising a once traditional medium.
Georg Baselitz: The Last Decade presents recurring motifs that have shaped the artist’s career, with a focus on his exploration of the human figure, particularly through depictions of his own body and that of his wife, Elke. Baselitz revisits the eagles of his childhood in Deutschbaselitz, a motif he has explored in various media since the 1950s, in a series set against blue backgrounds, culminating in a recent 2024 addition, displayed here for the first time. The deer, another enduring motif from his childhood, reappears as a central element of the mythological iconography that has long shaped his work. The exhibition highlights Springtime (2020), a series inspired by Dada artist Hannah Höch, in which Baselitz collages nylon stockings onto inverted figures, highlighting the ephemerality of time through the fragility of the material. The monumental sculptures displayed in both the galleries and garden resonate with the historical and iconographic themes found in the paintings, collectively conveying a deep awareness of life’s fragility and impermanence.
At the press conference for Georg Baselitz: The Last Decade, SSM Director Dr. Nazan Ölçer stated, ‘We continue our tradition of hosting significant exhibitions spotlighting the great names and movements in international art at the Sakıp Sabancı Museum, now with Georg Baselitz, one of the most important living artists. His monumental paintings and sculptures, the latest milestones in his prolific career, immerse viewers in a spectacular visual experience while offering reflections on his lifelong engagement with the history of his homeland. With this exhibition, the Sakıp Sabancı Museum offers art enthusiasts a chance to discover Baselitz’s world, where the past is never forgotten, but continuously reinterpreted through art. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Akbank for their vision and support in bringing this extraordinary exhibition to life.”
Exhibition curator Sir Norman Rosenthal, who has maintained a close relationship with Baselitz since the late 1970s, commented, ‘The works Baselitz has created over the last decade reveal once again his remarkable ability to reinvent himself. This exhibition in Istanbul highlights his focus on the human figure, particularly himself, while engaging with themes memory and the past. Baselitz’s works reflect both personal and collective history, and this exhibition offers insight not only into his artistic journey but also into his reflections on time and mortality. With his upside-down compositions and convoluted bodies, Baselitz demonstrates that art can be both a visual and intellectual experience. This exhibition offers viewers a peek into his creative process over the past ten years, revealing a spirit that remains connected to the past yet continually seeks innovation.”
Chairperson of Akbank, Suzan Sabancı, said ‘Supporting the development of contemporary art in Turkey is of great importance to us. In this regard, our long-standing partnership with the Sakıp Sabancı Museum and our biennial exhibitions are invaluable. This year, with Georg Baselitz: The Last Decade, we are proud to bring one of the most extraordinary figures in contemporary art to Istanbul. As Akbank, we are delighted to present this exhibition, offering art lovers the opportunity to explore Baselitz's unique creative universe.’
Publications:
A comprehensive catalogue accompanying the exhibition includes essays by Sir Norman Rosenthal, Beral Madra, Eric Darragon, and John-Paul Stonard, providing in-depth perspectives on Baselitz’s artistic practice. A children's book, Introducing: Georg Baselitz, has been specially prepared to engage younger visitors with the exhibition. The brochure catalogue for the print exhibition will feature two essays by Rainer Michael Mason.
Conference Programme:
The exhibition will feature a series of conferences by renowned historians and art historians from around the world.
On Friday, 13 September 2024 at 14.00, exhibition curator Sir Norman Rosenthal and Detlev Gretenkort, Baselitz’s assistant of over forty years, will discuss the artist’s recent works within the context of his sixty-five-year career.
On Saturday, 14 September 2024 at 14.00, art historian and curator Richard Calvocoressi, an expert on Baselitz’s oeuvre, will present a lecture titled Georg Baselitz: From the Third Reich to the Fall of the Berlin Wall.
The conference programme will continue throughout the autumn with talks by Halil Berktay, Osman Erden, John-Paul Stonard, Heinz Peter Schwerfel, Niels Borch Jensen, and Beral Madra
Events and Programmes:
In addition to the conference schedule, the exhibition offers a rich schedule of activities, including film screenings, workshops, and educational programmes for all ages.
Georg Baselitz: The Last Decade will be on view at the Sakıp Sabancı Museum until 2 February 2025, open daily from 10.00 to 18.00, except Mondays. A selection of Baselitz’s prints will be on show at Akbank Sanat, open from 10.30 to 19.30, every day except Sunday and Monday.