The Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen museum in Germany is hosting a retrospective exhibition on the late American artist, Mike Kelley. Located in Düsseldorf, the show is presented in collaboration with the Tate Modern, Bourse de Commerce (Pinault Collection) and Stockholm’s Moderna Museet.
Entitled Ghost and Spirit, the exhibition chronicles an array of Kelley’s works across sculpture, textile wall works and multi-media installations. The title is a reference to an unrealized performance that Kelley once made called Under a Sheet/Existance Problems (sic). In a past statement, the artist extrapolated on the work, stating: “A ghost is someone who has disappeared, but a spirit is a memory that remains, an energy that has lingering influence.”
From his somewhat eerie stuffed animal creations to his famed Superman-inspired Kandor series, Kelley was constantly mining the throes of pop culture to examine themes related to memory, trauma and repression. Kelley tragically committed suicide in his South Pasadena on January 31, 2012. He is survived by his namesake foundation, which promotes the acclaimed artist’s work, as well as offer grants supporting projects that equally share a penchant for critical thinking and risk taking within the arts.
The exhibition will be on view in Germany until September 8, 2024.
Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen
Ständehausstraße 1,
40217 Düsseldorf, Germany
