Franz West
57th Biennale di Venezia, Italy
13 May – 26 November 2017
The work of Franz West was presented at the 57th La Biennale di Venezia, curated by Christine Macel, from May to November 2017. The presentation was co-produced by Phileas and the Austrian Federal Chancellery.
Christine Macel selected for the exhibition a series of works by Franz West, along with a video documentation on his practice. West rejected the traditionally passive nature of the relationship between artwork and viewer; his work is fundamentally participative in its approach, seeking a dialogue with its recipients. The artist considered all his creations as invitations to interact, and the varied reactions as a necessary and integral part of each work. As such, the meaning of his works are continuously subject to change.
Franz West (born 1947 in Vienna, died 2012) was honoured with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 54th La Biennale di Venezia in 2011. Recent solo exhibitions include Franz West: Les Pommes d’Adam, Hall Art Foundation at MASS MoCA, North Adams (2014); Franz West: Where is my Eight?, mumok, Vienna (2013); Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, (2012); Autotheater, Museum Ludwig, Cologne; Museo d'Arte contemporanea Donna Regina, Naples (2010); and Sit on My Chair, Lay on My Bed, MAK, Vienna (2008). His work is part of the collections of many international institutions, including The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York; the Centre Pompidou, Paris; Tate Modern, London; and the Museum Ludwig, Cologne.
