Joseph Beuys Studio WERK

Joseph Beuys Studio WERK (2021) is part of Berend Strik's Deciphering the Artist's Mind series, documenting the legacy of Joseph Beuys (1921–1986) — one of the most influential figures in 20th-century art, known for his concept of "social sculpture" and his belief that art could transform society.

Strik visited Beuys's former studio spaces and photographed them, then transformed the images through his signature stitching technique. As Fons Welters notes: "In Deciphering the Artist's Mind, Beuys comes and goes 2 Strik combines Beuys's first and last studio and shows us what remained hidden and elusive."

Beuys's studio was famously chaotic — filled with felt, fat, and salvaged materials embodying his theory of materials as bearers of spiritual energy. Strik's textile interventions into photographs of this space create an apt formal dialogue: his fabric and thread echo Beuys's own felt and fat.

The inclusion of this work in exhibitions as recent as 2024 shows how Beuys's legacy continues to resonate with contemporary artists.

Sources: Fons Welters · Mercatorfonds