(Mint) Anselm Kiefer: Das Balder-Lied

An artist book by German artist Anselm Kiefer.

Born in Donaueschingen in 1945, Kiefer has developed a unique visual language that blends photography, collage, and diverse materials to transform mystical and historical themes into contemporary expressions. This book, published by Schirmer/Mosel under the supervision of Heiner Bastian, is a concentrated embodiment of Kiefer’s artistic practice.

Titled Das Balder-Lied ("The Song of Balder"), the book features a series of photo-paintings grounded in photography. The works draw inspiration from the tragic story of Balder, the Norse god of light and purity. Central to the book is an ancient Germanic riddle: "When Balder lay on the funeral pyre, what did Odin whisper to his dead son?"

With a composition that alternates between close-ups and overhead views, the book offers a viewing experience that evokes the sensation of witnessing the expansion of the universe itself—something uniquely possible through the photographic reproduction of artworks rather than in-person exhibition. All publishing and credit information is discreetly confined to the dust jacket, while the interior pages are presented without any explanatory text, heightening the resonance between the work’s form and content.

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Title: Anselm Kiefer: Das Balder-Lied
Artist: Anselm Kiefer
Publisher: Schirmer/Mosel Verlag GmbH, 2008
Format: Hardcover with dust jacket
Size: 250 × 326 mm
Pages: 60
Language: English
Edition: First Edition
ISBN: 978-3829603706
Price: ¥14,800

Condition: Shrink-wrapped