Anselm Kiefer Expresses Alarm Over AfD Gains and Global Instability

The renowned German artist voices concerns about political shifts and unveils a major exhibition in Amsterdam ahead of his 80th birthday.

Anselm Kiefer, a globally acclaimed German artist, has expressed deep concern over the recent gains of the far-right AfD party in Germany's Bundestag elections, where it secured 20.8% of the vote, doubling its 2021 result.
Kiefer described the rise of the AfD as 'threatening' and 'terrible,' highlighting the persistence of right-wing extremism and antisemitism in Germany.
The artist compared current global tensions, including the war in Ukraine and strained US relations, to the Cold War, noting that past conflicts were more predictable and easier to understand.
Kiefer's new exhibition, titled 'Sag mir wo die Blumen sind,' is being shown at Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum in honor of his upcoming 80th birthday.
The exhibition features a monumental 24-meter-long installation, which Kiefer describes as a personal exploration of themes like war, death, and inner emotion, rather than a direct anti-war statement.