From January 13 to March 21, 2026, the Thaddaeus Ropac gallery in London presents a major international exhibition: Bathtub for a Heroine. For the first time in the United Kingdom, this show offers the public a chance to explore the evolution of one of Joseph Beuys’s most monumental and complex works, Bathtub (1961–87).
Art as a Engine for Social Transformation
At the heart of the exhibition is the revolutionary concept of social sculpture. For Beuys, art was not a static object for contemplation, but a dynamic force capable of healing collective wounds and catalyzing political change. In his vision, the artwork becomes an “active agent,” dissolving the boundaries between art, science, and politics.
Heat as Sculptural Material
The exhibition highlights the principle of “evolutionary warmth,” a cornerstone of Beuys’s practice. Through a curated selection of sculptures and drawings, it becomes clear how the artist considered temperature to be the most vital aspect of sculpture. To Beuys, warmth was not merely a metaphor but a material philosophy: the energy that renders rigid systems malleable and fosters exchange and imagination.
Highlights on View
Alongside the monumental 1,000 kg bathtub cast in bronze, lead, and copper, the exhibition features pivotal historical pieces, including:
- Mammoth Tooth, Framed (1961): An early work that anchors the sculptural process in deep evolutionary time.
- Bed (1950): A sculpture staging the tension between mechanical pressure and organic form.
- Selected Drawings: A series of works on paper where the female figure emerges as a symbol of intuition and transformation, contrasted against the perceived rigidity of the “male intellect.”