Exhibition
Anselm Kiefer
Exhibition
Anselm Kiefer
Exhibition at the Fundació Catalunya – La Pedrera
Anselm Kiefer: The Secret Life of Plants
Anselm Kiefer: The Secret Life of Plants
Exhibition at La Pedrera, Barcelona
2 October 2026 to 24 January 2027
On 7 October, I visited the exhibition at the Fundació Catalunya – La Pedrera for you. The exhibition is housed in separate rooms within Gaudí’s La Pedrera and can only be visited with an additional ticket. Fortunately, there’s a fantastic combination ticket available, which we can offer you.
The exhibition showcases the extraordinary universe of Anselm Kiefer. The German artist’s work has an uncanny presence, with deep historical references and mythology and religion forming equally powerful themes. His works move you in a very particular way – despite, or perhaps precisely because of, the materials he uses.
But see for yourselves, and above all, allow yourselves to be immersed in the experience!
Yours,
Céline
Anselm Kiefer & Pedrera
Tickets
The details
at a glance
Exhibition:
Anselm Kiefer: The Secret Life of Plants
Exhibition at La Pedrera, Barcelona
2 October 2026 to 24 January 2027
Address:
Carrer de Provença, 261, 08008 Barcelona
The Pedrera by Gaudis
Exhibition opening hours:
Daily, 10.00 – 19.30 h
Closed on 25 December; 1 January: 11.00 – 19.30 h
Prices
Exhibition only – purchase on site
EUR 16 for adults
EUR 12 for seniors aged 65 and over, students and people with disabilities
Free entry for children under 12
Combined ticket: Exhibition + Gaudí’s La Pedrera
From EUR 39 for adults
-> EUR 29 for La Pedrera + EUR 16 for the exhibition, plus a small additional fee that helps support our work 😉
EUR 19.50 for children aged 12–17
EUR 26 for seniors aged 65 and over and students
Free entry for children under 12
Alternative: Book your La Pedrera ticket through me at no extra cost and purchase your exhibition ticket on site. That way, it’s a win-win for everyone! 😉
ICOM Card:
Free admission to the exhibition; no advance registration required.
Who is
Anselm Kiefer?
Anselm Kiefer is one of the most important contemporary artists. Born in Donaueschingen in 1945, he grew up in a Germany whose landscapes and collective consciousness were still deeply marked by the experiences of the Second World War. After studying law and Romance languages, he decided to pursue art, studying at art academies in Freiburg im Breisgau and Karlsruhe. His encounter with Joseph Beuys proved to be an important influence on his artistic development. Since 1993, Kiefer has lived and worked in France.
Kiefer’s art is different. Why? He doesn’t simply paint on canvas. Instead, he builds up multiple layers, using the most unusual materials. Straw and lead are particular favourites, but you’ll also find textiles, toy figurines and glass. Sometimes, he even burns or chars parts of his paintings. His sculptures – particularly evident in the Barcelona exhibition – are assembled from an extraordinary variety of materials: pieces of furniture adorned with poppies, branches combined with clothing, straw and gold.
As a result, his works resemble landscapes, ruins or archaeological sites. Yet they all share one essential quality: they are spaces for reflection and remembrance, rooted in history, mythology and religion.
From the very beginning, Kiefer has explored German history, mythology and the difficult questions of memory and identity. We saw this particularly clearly in the 2024 exhibition in Amsterdam.
This time, here in Barcelona, the focus is on plants in Kiefer’s work. They are far more than mere representations of nature. Roots, branches, leaves and dried plants seem to possess a language of their own – as though they were storing knowledge, preserving stories and mediating between the visible world and a hidden realm.
This is what the exhibition’s title, The Secret Life of Plants, alludes to: a world that surrounds us, yet whose connections and mysteries we can only partially comprehend.
The exhibition features more than 70 works by Kiefer, spanning different periods of his career and a variety of media. What makes it particularly special is that a large proportion of the works come from the private collection of Hans Grothe, which is why the exhibition also carries this subtitle. Grothe was the most important private collector of Kiefer’s work. His collection began with a personal fascination: he bought his first Kiefer paintings precisely because he didn’t understand them at first. And I can relate to that completely. 😉 The first time you encounter Kiefer’s work, you feel overwhelmed and barely understand what you’re looking at. From this initial sense of bewilderment grew Grothe’s decades-long engagement with the artist, eventually culminating in one of the most extensive Kiefer collections in existence.
This exhibition presents Kiefer’s complex body of work in a monographic exhibition in Barcelona for the first time. Around 40 works from the Grothe Collection, complemented by loans from other private collections, enter into a fascinating dialogue with the architecture of Antoni Gaudí’s La Pedrera.
You’ll discover painting, sculpture, installation, photography and artists’ books – not as separate artistic genres, but as interconnected parts of a coherent artistic universe. One particular highlight is the body of work Opus Magnum, whose monumental display cases are being shown in Spain in this form for the first time in Barcelona.
The exhibition is divided into six sections, all explored in the audio guide: mythology, poetry, alchemy, history, religion and artists’ books.
I’ve picked out a few representative works that I found particularly fascinating to share with you.
About the Exhibition
The Secret Life of Plants
Of the works in the “Opus Magnum” series, there were two in particular that I really liked.
Daphne
The work Daphne clearly belongs to the realm of Greek mythology. Kiefer offers a new interpretation of Daphne’s flight from Apollo. In the classical myth, she transforms into a laurel tree, but in Kiefer’s version, she becomes a Germanic oak!
Branches emerge from the white robe like arms and legs, while a lead plate suggests the head. The metamorphosis is expressed on three levels: through the story itself, the transformation of a human being into a tree, and the changing appearance of the leaves. In Ovid’s account, they are green and full of life, whereas here they evoke the transition from summer greenery to autumn foliage. Even the lead undergoes a transformation, changing from a lump into a plate.
“Sternenfall” (Falling Stars)
Another work from the Opus Magnum series, Sternenfall reveals Kiefer’s perspective on the intersection of mythology and science.
Once again, we see a white robe, slit open at the front. Strips of glass bearing numbers hang from its hem, while countless more pieces of glass lie scattered on the floor beneath it.
But what does it all mean? The title, Sternenfall (Falling Stars), is displayed on the upper part of the vitrine. The word evokes wonder, magic and stories. But is that all there is to it? Have these glass fragments fallen from the garment? Could the work even have something to do with the German fairy tale Sterntaler (The Star Money)?
No. Kiefer brings science together with a hint of mythology. The numbers on the glass strips correspond to the many stars catalogued and documented by NASA. These numbers can be looked up online, and they also appear on the paintings displayed in the same room as Sternenfall.
Valkyries
Also belonging to the realm of mythology are the Valkyries. This time, however, we’re dealing with a purely Norse myth. A Valkyrie is a battle maiden, a female supernatural being in the retinue of Odin, the father of the gods (and sometimes described as his daughters). Valkyries represent the possibility of changing one’s fate and grant brave warriors access to Valhalla, a special place of rest for the fallen.
In Kiefer’s work, however, we see no women, no battle and no warriors. Instead, there are twelve coats and other garments hanging – more or less neatly – on clothes hangers. Each item has a name tag attached to it, rather like costumes in a theatre. But here, no one will ever step into the role of a Valkyrie again.
The coats are dusty and dirty. They look old and worn, as though they have been abandoned for years. Fate itself seems to have given up – perhaps a reference to the German battlefields of the Second World War.
That’s my interpretation, of course…
Herbsttag (Autumn Day)
Finally, I’d like to take a look at the painting Herbsttag. Although it isn’t part of the Opus Magnum series, it provides a particularly good example of Kiefer’s fascinating painting technique.
The painting almost appears three-dimensional, thanks to the sheer amount of paint Kiefer has applied. The autumn flowers, in particular, are formed from thick, textured daubs of paint. But that isn’t even the most remarkable feature. If you focus on the centre of the painting, you’ll notice a large burnt patch. Right in the middle of the canvas, a charred tree crown dominates the scene.
I find that really fascinating!
Summery
As a Kiefer fan, I found this exhibition absolutely unmissable. For me, it’s a definite must-see!
But even if you’re not familiar with Kiefer or contemporary art, I encourage you to give this exhibition a chance. Come with an open mind, take your time, listen to the audio guide and let yourself be drawn into his extraordinary world. You may not understand everything at first – and that’s perfectly fine. Sometimes, the most powerful art is the art that challenges us, unsettles us and stays with us long after we’ve left the room.
So, if you’re in Barcelona between now and 24 January 2027, don’t miss the chance to experience Anselm Kiefer at La Pedrera. Step inside, let the works speak to you and discover what they awaken in you. You might be surprised by just how deeply they move you!
I’d love to hear what you think!
Yours,
Céline
Image and text rights: © Céline Mülich
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