The Sled

1960s

Forms the idea of “social sculpture”

Drawing on Novalis and Schiller and on Rudolf Steiner's ideas of social threefolding, Beuys developed the concept of social sculpture: society as a whole is one great work of art to which everyone can contribute creatively (“everyone is an artist”).

1967

Founds a party made up of students

In June 1967, during a student demonstration in West Berlin, a participant died after a clash with the police; in response Beuys created a political party made up solely of students, demanding student self-government and free admission to university for anyone who wished.

27. Juni 1968 – 6. Oktober 1968

Exhibition: 4. documenta

1969

Calls teaching his greatest work

In a 1969 Artforum interview with Willoughby Sharp, Beuys added to his famous statement that teaching is his greatest work of art: the rest is merely waste product and demonstration.

May 1970

In Scotland with Demarco: the idea of “7000 Oaks”

Invited by Richard Demarco, Beuys came to Scotland; at Loch Awe and Rannoch Moor he first conceived the necessity of “7000 Oaks”.

August 1970

The 1970 Edinburgh Festival: “Arena” and “The Pack”

In August 1970, at the Edinburgh International Festival, Beuys, with Günther Uecker, Blinky Palermo, Robert Filliou and other Düsseldorf artists, showed the retrospective “Arena” and the installation “The Pack” and performed “Celtic Kinloch Rannoch”, using a blackboard for the first time; a year later he developed the action in Basel as “Celtic+”.