Joseph Beuys

In 1951, Beuys shared a studio with Erwin Heerich that he kept for three years until after his graduation. Beuys graduated as a master student in 1953, and throughout the 1950s, struggled to successfully live off the income his art was bringing in. In 1961, Beuys was appointed a professor at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. In 1964, Beuys’ performance at the Technical College Aachen began his launch into public consciousness. The following year, Beuys held a solo exhibition at the Galerie Schmela, Düsseldorf. Two years later, Beuys exhibited solo in Austria and Germany again, which he continued to do almost yearly throughout his career. In 1975-1976, Beuys represented Germany at the Venice Biennale. In 1979, Beuys held an exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, and represented Germany at the Venice Biennale once more in 1980. There was a retrospective held for Beuys in 1984 at the Seibu Museum of Art, Tokyo. Notably, Beuys was given a retrospective at the Tate Modern, London in 2005 and at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2008, and has been at the center of the international art scene since.