This exhibition in Essen is one of several concurrent shows in Germany celebrating the 70th birthday of the South African artist William Kentridge (4 September–18 January 2026). Much of Kentridge’s work, especially from earlier in his career, meditates on the legacy of apartheid in the country of his birth, including his short film series Drawings from Projection (1989–2020) and his Colonial Landscapes drawings from the 1990s. More recently, Kentridge turned the lens inward for Self-Portrait as a Coffee-Pot (2024), a winningly surreal film series about his own studio and his creative process; clips from the film and artworks featured in it are on show here. The other Kentridge exhibitions are all taking place in Dresden: the Residenzschloss is focusing on the artist’s printmaking, the Albertinum show centres on his cinematic installation More Sweetly Play the Dance (2015), while the Puppentheatersammlung is exploring his work as a puppet theatre director and animator.
Find out more from the Museum Folkwang’s website.
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