Wolfgang Zumdick
Dr. Wolfgang Zumdick
He has published a number of works on the history of philosophy and on 20th century art and philosophy, in particular.
Having graduated in philosophy and German language and literature studies in 1987, he was awarded his doctorate in 1994 from the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technical University, Aachen. This doctoral work explored the nature and role of thinking in the work of Joseph Beuys and Rudolf Steiner. 1996 he was, alongside Allen Ruppersberg (Los Angeles), recipient of the first scholarship from the Laurenz Haus Foundation, Basel.
Wolfgang has lectured widely both as a guest lecturer at the University of Basel and contributed as a keynote speaker to numerous national and international Beuys Symposia.
He conceived and planned the Joseph Beuys Symposium for the Museum Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf in 2006. In 2007 he was chief curator of the “Joseph Beuys and Rudolf Steiner“ exhibition at Rudolf Steiner Archive in Dornach, as well curator of the exhibition “Social Sculpture today“ at the Goetheanum in Switzerland. He edited the catalogue for this Steiner-Beuys exhibition, and wrote one of the two key essays. Currently he is editing a volume of Steiner’s lectures (GA 75) on science and anthroposophy; co-authoring and editing a Social Sculpture Reader in English and German with Hildegard Kurt and Shelley Sacks, and co-authoring an artist’s book project entitled ‘Warmth Work in Regions of Fear’ with Shelley.
Since 1994 he has been working as an independent writer.
In 2000 Wolfgang began writing and doing public relations work for the North Rhine-Westphalia section of the Green Party in Düsseldorf. He works closely with sections of the European Parliament and is particularly interested in exploring how the social sculpture insights and ideas put forward by Joseph Beuys and now being extended by the Social Sculpture Research Unit can be worked with in fields beyond the art world.
He has written catalogue articles for museums and galleries including: Portikus Frankfurt, the Zürich Kunsthaus, Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt, Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, Dundee Contemporary Arts and Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo, Sevilla, Museo de Arte Contemporánea de Vigo and the Nationl Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.
He has authored the following monographs:
Der Tod hält mich wach, Joseph Beuys - Rudolf Steiner. Grundlagen ihres Denkens. Dornach (3. Aufl.) 2006.
Das Geheimnis des Tauchbads. Zur Geschichte der Abendländischen Metaphysik von Platon bis Beuys. Stuttgart, 1999.
Pan XXX ttt. Joseph Beuys als Denker. Stuttgart, 2000.
Rudolf Steiner und die Künstler. Dornach 2005.
© 2008 Social Sculpture Research Unit
