Film 'Schwarzers Kosmos' Portrays Artist Bernd Schwarzer's Struggle
Directed by Klaus Martens, the documentary 'Schwarzers Kosmos' focuses on Bernd Schwarzer, a 72-year-old German artist who has faced challenges in gaining recognition after years of commitment. Recently premiered, the film reveals his financial difficulties and the unforgiving nature of the contemporary art world. Born in Weimar in 1954 and mentored by Joseph Beuys, Schwarzer's significant 'European work' features abstract paintings and sculptures that explore themes of German reunification. Although he has exhibited at venues like Schloss Bellevue and the Bundestag, and is set to showcase at the European Parliament, he remains commercially overlooked. The documentary also captures his struggles, including the shutdown of his Düsseldorf studios and a fraught encounter at the Osthaus Museum. Critics, such as Josef Kiblitsky, dismiss his art as kitsch, while Christian Lindner commends his character. The film concludes with Schwarzer leaving his final studio.
Key facts
- Klaus Martens directed the documentary 'Schwarzers Kosmos' about painter Bernd Schwarzer.
- Bernd Schwarzer was born in Weimar in 1954 and moved to Düsseldorf in 1959.
- Schwarzer studied painting at the Düsseldorf Art Academy from 1978, under Joseph Beuys.
- The film covers five years of Schwarzer's life, showing the closure of his four studios due to financial issues.
- Schwarzer's 'European work' includes abstract paintings and painted sculptures in blue, yellow, red, and black.
- His works are displayed in Schloss Bellevue, the Bundestag, and will be in the European Parliament.
- At a meeting at the Osthaus Museum in Hagen, Schwarzer's financial problems were discussed, with monthly expenses of 50,000 euros.
- Josef Kiblitsky criticized Schwarzer, saying 'An important artist does not sell kitsch.'
- Former foreign minister Christian Lindner called Schwarzer an 'eccentric personality' and 'refreshingly different.'
- The film ends with Schwarzer being forced to leave his last studio in Düsseldorf's Hüttenstraße after 45 years.
Entities
Artists
- Bernd Schwarzer
- Joseph Beuys
- Gerhard Richter
- Bruce Nauman
- Rosemarie Trockel
- Georg Baselitz
- Jörg Immendorff
- Marilyn Monroe
- Wladimir Putin
Institutions
- Düsseldorf Art Academy
- Art Cologne
- Osthaus Museum Hagen
- Schloss Bellevue
- Bundestag
- European Parliament
- Capital (magazine)
- Kunstkompass
Locations
- Weimar
- Germany
- Düsseldorf
- Hagen
- Hüttenstraße