Anselm Kiefer disowns unauthorized Beijing retrospective

Anselm Kiefer has disowned his first retrospective in China, titled "Coagulation," held at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) in Beijing, after not being consulted during its production. The exhibition, which ended on January 8, was organized by a network of institutions and private partners. Lead curator Beate Reifenscheid, speaking through Georgina Adam of The Art Newspaper, defended the show, arguing that artists and galleries should not be able to prevent works from being exhibited after sale, as this would hinder serving the public. Reifenscheid stated, "If all artists and galleries had the opportunity to prevent curators from exhibiting works after they have been sold, we could not serve the interests of the public." Klaus Honnef, a colleague of Reifenscheid, suggested that Kiefer's supporters were protecting their "financial interests." In response, Kiefer's galleries—Gagosian, Thaddeus Ropac, and White Cube—rejected this claim, stating, "We categorically reject the idea that we opposed the exhibition for interest. Our role is to support our artists in all their ideas and projects." The controversy raises questions about authorship versus ownership, and whether artists can block exhibitions of their sold works in contexts they disapprove of.