Burning Hat (from "For Joseph Beuys")
Color serigraph on Rives laid paper, black
numbered (signature was in the bottom right corner - unfortunately no longer present)
This work is number 54 from an edition of 90 copies , published jointly by Bernd Klüser, Munich, and Edition Schellmann, Munich and New York, in commemoration of the death of Joseph Beuys.
Year: 1986
formerly hand-signed
Size: 60 x 80 cm
Condition: The paper is corroded and crumbles when touched. Several tears, significant paper loss (see photos); but still beautiful to look at!
Nam June Paik created this silkscreen edition as part of the group portfolio “For Joseph Beuys” as a tribute to the influential German artist and Fluxus colleague.
The print, in bright shades of red and orange, shows a fedora-style hat – Beuys' iconic trademark – engulfed in flames.
The image oscillates between homage and transformation, symbolizing Beuys' radical legacy and his mythologized personality.
With characteristic wit and symbolism, Paik transforms the burning hat into a visual metaphor: for transference, sacrifice, memory and creative energy.
The work reflects the close connection between the two artists, both of whom were dedicated to performance, education, and the fusion of art and life. Burning Hat becomes a poetic, visual eulogy – personal and universal at the same time.
