Page opening 1 from "The Heavenly Palaces: Merkabah" 1990

Editor: This is Anselm Kiefer's "Page opening 1 from 'The Heavenly Palaces: Merkabah.'" It feels like a descent, or perhaps a journey into a personal and fraught history. What narratives do you see unfolding here? Curator: Kiefer often confronts Germany's complex past. Considering the title’s reference to Merkabah mysticism, and the tunnel-like imagery, how might this piece reflect on the idea of seeking spiritual transcendence through difficult historical realities? Does the figure seem burdened or hopeful? Editor: I hadn’t considered the burden of history so directly. The figure now feels more weighed down. Curator: Exactly, and think about the museum space displaying this work. How does that institutional framing influence our understanding of this journey? It asks us to consider the responsibility of remembering. Editor: That definitely gives me a new appreciation for the piece’s layers of meaning. Curator: Indeed, art compels us to grapple with history's ongoing influence.