On 17 January, 2011 the Danish-based art corporation Das Beckwerk was closed down. This was the end of one of the most influential Scandinavian art groups of the first decade in the new millennium.
It all began in 2001 when author, artist, performer, musician and human being etc. Claus Beck-Nielsen was declared dead. In 2002 Das Beckwerk was established in his name. The nameless body left behind by Claus Beck-Nielsen was appointed director of, and subject for experimentation in, the corporation. Between 2002 and 2010 Das Beckwerk conducted a lengthy series of experiments with this nameless body, attempts to take human life beyond identities and open up new ways of being a human being.
At the end of the decade Das Beckwerk decided to conclude the work and open out into the future through the final event Funus Imaginarium - the Death of Identity and the State Citizen, which took place in Copenhagen in the autumn of 2010 with satellites worldwide in Cairo, Beijing and Herning.
Beyond Identity is an attempt to bring together the entire story – from the declaration of death to the very end – in one epic sequence of pictures, documents, essays, drafts, diary entries and reports from the struggle with the state powers.
Through countless works – exhibitions, books, videos, performances, documentaries, concerts, a court case and interventions in Iraq, Iran, the US, Egypt and Afghanistan – Das Beckwerk attracted great attention and has been an inspiration for a new generation of artists and authors all over Scandinavia.
It all began in 2001 when author, artist, performer, musician and human being etc. Claus Beck-Nielsen was declared dead. In 2002 Das Beckwerk was established in his name. The nameless body left behind by Claus Beck-Nielsen was appointed director of, and subject for experimentation in, the corporation. Between 2002 and 2010 Das Beckwerk conducted a lengthy series of experiments with this nameless body, attempts to take human life beyond identities and open up new ways of being a human being.
At the end of the decade Das Beckwerk decided to conclude the work and open out into the future through the final event Funus Imaginarium - the Death of Identity and the State Citizen, which took place in Copenhagen in the autumn of 2010 with satellites worldwide in Cairo, Beijing and Herning.
Beyond Identity is an attempt to bring together the entire story – from the declaration of death to the very end – in one epic sequence of pictures, documents, essays, drafts, diary entries and reports from the struggle with the state powers.
