MONOCULTURE | A Recent History

Joseph Beuys was deeply interested in Genghis Khan, the 13th-century Mongolian leader who conquered most of Eurasia and, in his wake, introduced aspects of Asian culture into the West. Beuys saw Genghis Khan’s daughter as playing an important role during this mythical journey: She is understood to have carried a plan for the future. Although in much of the West, Khan is seen as a cruel conqueror, he is also known as having been tolerant to different religions and as someone who united nomadic tribes.