News Dozens of galleries from Düsseldorf and Cologne signed a letter condemning the anti-immigrant party's invocation of the postwar artist in promotions for an upcoming event.

October 21, 2026 — 2 min read

Joseph Beuys in 1982 (photo by Probst/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

More than 50 galleries across Düsseldorf and Cologne have signed a letter condemning the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party's Düsseldorf faction for allegedly referencing postwar conceptual artist and political activist Joseph Beuys and poet Heinrich Heine in the promotion of an upcoming cultural policy event.

The AfD event in question, “Cultural Policy From the Right,” is scheduled to take place in Düsseldorf on Monday, October 26, and consists of a walking tour of the city's arts and cultural venues followed by a topical lecture from the party's Bundestag (parliament) member Matthias Helferich.

(Hyperallergic has contacted several signatories and was not able to independently confirm any mention of Beuys on the AfD and…