Emerging in the early 1970s, Austrian artist Franz West (1947-2012) developed a unique aesthetic that engaged equally high and low reference points and often privileged social interaction as an intrinsic component of his work. By playfully manipulating everyday materials and imagery in novel ways, he created objects that serve to redefine art as a social experience, calling attention to the way in which art is presented to the public, and how viewers interact with works of art and with each other.
Franz West (1947-2012) began exhibiting his work in the
1970s and gained international recognition in the 1980s, with
significant shows at such venues as the Neue Galerie am
Landesmuseum Joanneum, Graz; Secession, Vienna (both 1986);
Skulptur. Projekte in Münster (1987); Kunsthalle Bern (1988); and
the Institute for Contemporary Art, PS1, Long Island City, New York
(1989). In the 1990s, the artist's work was presented at the
Austrian Pavilion of the 44th Venice Biennale (1990); documenta IX,
Kassel (1992); The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; Dia
Center for the Arts, New York (both 1994); and the Städtisches
Museum Abteiberg, Mönchengladbach (1996). A major, mid-career
retrospective, Franz West, Proforma, was organized by the Museum
moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig (MUMOK), Vienna in 1996 (it traveled
to the Kunsthalle Basel; Rijksmuseum Kröller-Mu¨ller, Otterlo;
Nárondi Galerie, Prague; Muzeum Sztuki w Lodzi, Lodz). The Museo
Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid presented the traveling
survey Franz West: In & Out (2000-2001).
Eva Badura-Triska is an art historian and curator at the
Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig (mumok), Vienna. She is the
author of numerous publications on modern and contemporary art,
with a focus on Vienna Actionism, Franz West, and Heimo Zobernig.
Badura-Triska curated West's first retrospective exhibition Franz
West, Proforma (1996). She also curated West's first major
posthumous show Where is my Eight? (2013). Since 1999, she has
served as general secretary of the Franz West Archive.
Veit Loers was director of the Städtisches Museum Abteiberg
in Mönchengladbach from 1995 to 2003. In 1996, he organized a solo
exhibition of Franz West's work, Gelegentliches. Since his early
retirement in 2003, Loers has worked as an independent curator and
author. In 2009, he edited Franz West for the Friedrich Christian
Flick Collection. Loers has also published several essays on
artists and art theory.
Bernhard Riff is the cofounder of Synema (Institute for Film
Theory) in Vienna and has edited and contributed to a number of
books. Since 1987, he has been making videos on art and artists,
and in 1995, he founded his own video studio in Vienna. Beginning
in 1989, Riff collaborated extensively with Franz West-their video
works together include Investigations of American Art (1992), Otium
(1998), and Thoughts for a New Art for the Homeland (2000).
"We live in Westworld. The artist's lump, informal,
pomposity-puncturing objects set the tone for a huge amount of
recent art production."--Martin Herbert "Artreview"
"West's dynamic work challenges traditional approaches to
sculptural designs, functions, and displays, and continues to
inspire artists."--Emory Lopiccolo "Whitewall"
Franz West "was the most loved and lovable of Austrian artists.
Variously described as a prankster, a mischief-maker and a joke, he
was above all engaging..."--Adrian Hamilton "The Independent"
Franz West's work is "nutty, subversive and intriguing."--Alice
Rawsthorn "The New York Times"
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