Joseph Beuys
Iphigenia / Titus Andronicus
Munich, Germany/New York City, USA: Edition Schellmann, 1985
78 x 55.3 x 12.8 cm.
Edition of 45 [+ 5 AP]
Joseph Beuys performed the 'action' Iphigenia / Titus Andronicus at Experimenta 3 in Frankfurt on 29th and 30th of May, 1969. The performance consisted of the artist reciting the text of Goethe’s play Iphigenia, while a loudspeaker relayed the pre-recorded sound of two actors reading Iphigenia and Shakespeare’s play Titus Andronicus. Both plays deal with the subject of vengeance, with the violent ending of Titus Andronicus contrasting with the happy ending of Iphigenia.
Beuys appeared dressed in a fur coat, which he quickly removed before beginning to imitate the flight of birds, striking a pair of bronze cymbals and emitting guttural sounds, regurgitating fat and feeding sugar a white horse. The horse stood atop a sheet of metal, which was rigged with microphones, so that every time the horse scraped or stamped its hooves, the sound was magnified.
Now valued at approximately $7000 US, the edition that documents the work consists of a photo-positive and negative on film, signed with the artist's brown paint stamp.
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