- Category
- Exhibition opening
Public Preview—Anselm Kiefer: Becoming the Sea
Celebrate the opening of Anselm Kiefer: Becoming the Sea, the first major exhibition of German artist Anselm Kiefer’s works in America in more than 20 years. Sculpture Hall will be transformed by a special installation of five monumental Kiefer works made for the iconic space. There, you can enjoy a specialty cocktail from a cash bar. Then wander into nearby Grigg Gallery to hear selections complementing the themes of the exhibition performed by the music faculty of Washington University in St. Louis and St. Louis String Collective.
The exhibition is presented for free; no tickets are required. See below for a schedule of events.
Anselm Kiefer, German, born 1945; Missouri, Mississippi, 2024; emulsion, oil, acrylic, shellac, gold leaf, sediment of electrolysis and collage of canvas on canvas; 30 feet 10 1/16 inches x 27 feet 6 11/16 inches x 3 15/16 inches; Collection of the artist and courtesy Gagosian 2025.310; © Anselm Kiefer, Photo: Nina Slavcheva
Public preview schedule
4–5 pm, Grigg Gallery
Hear Tale of Two Rivers, a special performance by the Washington University Faculty String Quartet and Jazz Trio.
4–8 pm, Exhibition galleries and Sculpture Hall
See Anselm Kiefer: Becoming the Sea. No tickets are needed. Enter the exhibition in Taylor Hall, then experience Anselm Kiefer’s site-specific installation of five monumental paintings in Sculpture Hall. Celebrate the exhibition with cocktail from the cash bar in Sculpture Hall.
6–7 pm, Grigg Gallery
Hear music inspired by the exhibition performed by St. Louis String Collective.
6–8 pm, The Farrell Auditorium
Join Min Jung Kim, SLAM’s Barbara B. Taylor Director and the exhibition curator, as she discusses this landmark exhibition. Although the lecture is free, tickets are required.
About Tale of Two Rivers
Both the Mississippi and Rhine Rivers have served an arterial role not only in commerce but also in shaping national identity and culture. The Mississippi Delta brought together diverse traditions of African American, Creole, and Western art music, resulting in the birth of the blues, jazz, and folk genres—forming the foundation of American popular music. The Rhine River was also an important source of inspiration for German Romantic composers such as Brahms, Wagner, and Schumann, leaving its imprint on operatic, symphonic, and chamber works of the time.
Weaving together the narratives of the Rhine and the Mississippi, faculty performers from Washington University’s Department of Music will present a program featuring William Lenihan, director of jazz performance, and Kimberly Jeong, director of strings, alongside their colleagues for a one-hour performance of string quartet and jazz trio selections. Program includes works from Schumann, Dvorak, Gershwin, Porter, Coltrane, and Miles Davis.
The string quartet includes Rebecca Chung, violin; Manuela Topalbegovic, violin; Amy Greenhalgh, viola; and Kimberly Jeong, cello. The jazz trio includes William Lenihan, guitar and keyboard; Paul DeMarinis, saxophone; and Jeff Anderson, bass.
About St. Louis String Collective
St. Louis String Collective promotes creative, multigenre string-instrument playing through educational programming and performance opportunities. The nonprofit organization hosts classes and tutorials and organizes events like the St. Louis String Summit, a camp for violin, viola, cello, and bass players to explore many styles of music as well as contemporary playing techniques.
Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.
