Heroic Symbols included black and white photographs taken at various European locations in which the artist gave the forbidden Nazi salute. The photographs were also used in the creation of some provocative paintings made in 1970, recently restored and currently on show in the exhibition, and were reutilised for other artworks throughout his career. Panelists Christian Weikop, Lara Day and Andrew Renton probe Kiefer’s motivation regarding this taboo gesture and reactions to these images then and now.

Anselm Kiefer is in the Main Galleries at the RA until 14 December 2014.

Dr Christian Weikop is a specialist in modern and contemporary German art and has published extensively in this field; Lara Day is a writer and art historian; and Andrew Renton is an independent curator and writer.