Everyone is an artist! KRASS e.V. conducted a Beuys project over the course of a year. Students from the Richardstraße primary school engaged intensively with the life and work of the world-famous Rhineland artist Joseph Beuys. The three-part project took the children to the Kunstsammlung NRW (North Rhine-Westphalia Art Collection) and Düsseldorf's Old Town, among other places, before they were able to unleash their own creativity.
As a special guest at the exhibition opening, artist and former student of Beuys, Uwe Piel, spoke about his personal experiences with the renowned artist. Friedgard Schulze, the principal of the Richardstraße primary school, attended the opening together with a group of students who had actively participated in the exhibition. The children were thrilled to meet a true student of Beuys.
The project culminated in an exhibition.
The opening of the exhibition on August 23, 2024, at the smoneyHub marked the culmination of the project. The children presented their artwork and celebrated the impressive results of their creative work. The works exhibited at the project's conclusion were displayed on TV screens, display panels, or freely arranged in the space. They reflected the children's intensive engagement with Beuys's works.
“The spark was immediately ignited by Beuys’ extraordinary life story and his unconventional materials,” said project manager Sarah Reuter of KRASS e.V.. His long-standing work in Düsseldorf made the project even more fascinating for the children.
Process, goal and experience of the Beuys project
The aim of the project was for the students to learn about the life and work of an internationally renowned Rhineland artist and to work creatively themselves with wood, stone, and fat. The experience showed: art is interesting and fun.
The project consisted of 3 stations where participants encountered art, artists, museums and themselves: Beuys in Düsseldorf: a visit to the NRW art collection, a visit to Düsseldorf's old town and discovering Beuys in public space, afterwards the children became active themselves – according to the motto: Everyone is an artist!
The project was generously supported by Margarete Sonnen.
