This major exhibition of Multiples, or works produced in editions, by the legendary German artist Joseph Beuys (1921-86), is the largest exhibition of Beuys’ work seen in Ireland and one of the most important showings of his multiples ever organised.

For Beuys, Multiples represented a vehicle for communication – a means of disseminating his ideas far beyond his own range, encouraging discussion and debate ever beyond his own lifetime. From 1965 to 1985, he produced almost 600 Multiples in a variety of media, including graphic works, found objects, photographs, audiotapes and films.

Each one encapsulates a specific moment in Beuys’ life or work : an idea, a performance, a lecture, an exhibition. As a group they provide a near complete picture of his richly diverse output, based on his belief in the unity of art and life and his desire to communicate his ideas for social change.

Some 300 works drawn primarily from the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, are being shown at IMMA. They comprise many objects incorporating felt (his signature material), as well as containers, printed matter, postcards and videos, and include many of Beuys’ most famous works such as ‘Sled’ (1969), ‘Felt Suit’ (1970) and ‘Rose for Direct Democracy’ (1973). Works are arranged thematically based on key ideas explored by Beuys, such as nature, healing, communication and political activism.