He is one of the most nonconformist and avant-garde artists of the twentieth century whose personality spanned the twentieth century and profoundly marked contemporary art. To Joseph Beuys (Krefeld, May 12, 1921 - Düsseldorf, Jan. 23, 1986), painter, sculptor, performance artist, teacher, activist and much more, is dedicated the exhibition Kontext Beuys, which lands in Palermo from Oct. 8 to Dec. 8 - opening Oct. 8 at 12 p.m. - at the Haus der Kunst of the Cantieri Culturali della Zisa, after having been exhibited in recent months at the Stadtmuseum in Düsseldorf.

In the wake of the celebrations in Germany for the centenary of the artist's birth, Kontext Beuys retraces the most salient moments of his life and career, which in the figure of Beuys largely coincide, starting with the expanded concept of art-the "erweiterten Kunstbegriff"-that goes beyond the limits of traditional aesthetics and integrates economic, socio-political, ecological, historical, and psychological themes, aiming at a transformation of the individual and consequently of society.

Through graphics, posters, diagrams and watercolors from the Stadtmuseum's collection and private collections, the exhibition is a portrait of an exceptional personality who dealt in his art with a range of themes that, many years later, still sound contemporary and urgent: ecology, the relationship between human beings and Nature, the desire to establish a direct connection between artistic practice and social engagement, "soziale Plastik" social sculpture, but also concepts such as "Freiheit" freedom, "Kreativität" creativity, "Wärme" warmth, and "Identität" identity.

Condensed in the exhibition are accounts of his controversial relationship with the Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts, including appeals for solidarity and documents on the founding of the "Freie Internationale Universität"; election invitations for the "Green" party he founded; documents on his civic engagement, for example for the "Organization for Direct Democracy"; diagrams on how to overthrow the "tyranny of German parties":all ideas expressed through graphics, engravings, drawings, and objects.

At the same time, Kontext Beuys aims to investigate and demonstrate the traces of Beuys' thought in contemporary art and to transport his thought into the present. With this in mind, a number of contemporary artists from different fields and generations have been invited to produce works of any technique and language that can dialogue with those of Beuys in the installation presented at Haus der Kunst. Andrea Cusumano, Adriano La Licata, Federico Lupo, Blanca Matías, and Giulia Sofi are the chosen artists, who through installations, videos, performances, and relics, beuysianly interpret their work and artistic process.