Back cover of "The Heavenly Palaces: Merkabah" 1990

Curator: Anselm Kiefer created this piece, the back cover of "The Heavenly Palaces: Merkabah." I’m particularly drawn to the materiality, the evident layering and decay. Editor: It’s undeniably somber. The scale, almost monumental at 100 by 70 centimeters, is offset by the muted palette and what appears to be erosion of the surface. There’s a sense of ruin. Curator: Ruin is an excellent descriptor. Kiefer consistently engages with themes of German history and trauma. The textured surface becomes a kind of palimpsest, a record of time and experience. Editor: Absolutely. But the form itself—the composition, these vertical elements—what are we meant to take from their arrangement? Is this merely an aesthetic choice, or is it coded with meaning? Curator: Kiefer's integration of German cultural motifs certainly suggests a deeper symbolic intent. The weathering might function as a metaphor for collective memory, altered and obscured by time. Editor: I appreciate that, and it’s difficult not to interpret those vertical elements architecturally. So much history is built and unbuilt on the same grounds, like Germany after the war. Curator: Exactly, it encourages us to confront complex, painful histories through form and material. Editor: It certainly is a thought-provoking piece.