A work of art that visitors are allowed to touch is unusual enough. But one that only fulfils its true purpose through the person touching it turned conventional notions of sculpture on their head in the 1970s. Franz West (1947–2012) made the viewer’s body an integral part of his art, dispensing with the traditionally reverential distance between artwork and audience. To mark what would have been his 80th birthday in February 2027, the ALBERTINA MODERN in Vienna is presenting a major retrospective of the Austrian artist, entitled “Franz West. The Revolution of Sculpture”, from 6 November 2026 to 29 March 2027. At the same time, the Wien Museum explores the artist’s relationship with his home city in an exhibition entitled “Franz West and Vienna”.
Image above: Franz West, Untitled, c. 1972–73, diameter: 102 cm, particleboard, paint, 2 socks, clothes pegs. WAM, on permanent loan from Ph. Konzett, Vienna, 2026 © Archiv Franz West, © Estate Franz West. Photo: Wolfgang Reichmann
West, whose artistic development was influenced by Viennese Actionism, began creating his so-called Adaptives (Passstücke) in the 1970s. These prosthesis-like objects, often characterised by unconventional shapes, were not intended merely to be looked at, but to be carried, held or placed against the body. Only through interaction with the people using them did they fully come into their own. In doing so, West shifted attention away from the finished art object towards the actions it prompted, challenging the traditional notion of sculpture as an autonomous, untouchable work of art.
West’s idiosyncratic and humorous approach to art also earned him international recognition. He participated in several editions of Documenta and the Venice Biennale and was awarded the Golden Lion in 2011.
The two exhibitions in Vienna pay tribute to an artist whose work raised, among other things, the question of why art should merely be looked at when one could actually do something with it.
WHEN?
Friday, 6 November 2026 – Monday, 29 March 2027
Open daily, 10:00 am–6:00 pm
WHERE?
ALBERTINA MODERN
Karlsplatz 5
1010 Vienna
Austria
PARALLEL EXHIBITION
Franz West and Vienna
WHEN?
Friday, 6 November 2026 – Sunday, 2 May 2027
WHERE?
Wien Museum
Karlsplatz 8
1040 Wien
Österreich
