Anselm Kiefer’s dark world descends on South Florida — with rays of hope

By Anne Tschida, The Miami Herald
January 30, 2017

South Florida is having a love affair with the German artist Anselm Kiefer, a relationship that is giving us a deep and powerful look at the work of one of the greats of contemporary art.

From the NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale to The Margulies Collection, we are able to see more of Kiefer’s art, from the 1970s to the present, than anywhere else in the world, which is quite a feat for such a celebrated artist. Born at the end of World War II in Germany, Kiefer grew up in a destroyed land that had to grapple with an awful and traumatic past as it rebuilt itself. That horror, reflected in his work, can be dark. But it also hints at rebirth.

The scope and breadth of his often-monumental art, and its context based in histories and mythologies, can be summed up in just several pieces on display in both locations. The Fort Lauderdale museum is showcasing numerous works all from the Hall Art Foundation, which has never been shown in its entirety until now.

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Piero Penizzotto, Kings of Comedy (Chris, Imani, Bernard, Calvin, Dre), 2024 Papier-mâché, foam and acrylic Photography by Oriol Tarridas Courtesy of the Artist and Primary

Close to Home

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William J. Glackens, Along the Marne, 1925, Oil on board, NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, bequest of Ira D. Glackens 91.40.107

Defining Landscapes

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Frantz Zéphirin, Ceremonie Zeïdes Medji La Mère des Erzulies (Ceremony of the Zeïdes Medji, the Mother of the Erzulies.), 2016, Acrylic on canvas, 20 x 24 inches, Copyright the artist, courtesy of CENTRAL FINE and El-Saieh.

Frantz Zéphirin: The Messenger

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Asger Jorn, Individuum Ineffable (Ineffable Personality), 1966, Acrylic on paper mounted on canvas, 21.7 x 18.5 in (55.2 x 46.9 cm), NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale; Cobra Collection; gift of Golda and Meyer Marks M-98.30. © 2025 Donation Jorn, Silkeborg / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VISDA; Photograph by Angelika Rinnhofer.

Asger Jorn: Luck and Chance

September 21, 2025 - August 9, 2026