MONOCULTURE | A Recent History

Considered to be one of his last great works before he died, Beuys created over 200 multiples of “Lemon Light/Capri Battery” in 1985. The yellow light bulb is plugged into a fresh lemon, from where it gets its energy, emitting a dim yellow glow. In this piece, Beuys is calling into question the ecological balance of civilization, the principle behind which is an ecologically sound energy source. Beuys completed the work on the island of Capri, hence the name, while he was recovering from an illness, and the light’s lemon yellow color reflects this jovial atmosphere and bright Mediterranean sun.