The ALBERTINA honours Franz West (1947-2012) with a retrospective on the occasion of what would have been his 80th birthday. The non-conformist artist, known for his recalcitrant character with its stubbornness and humour, was represented several times at documenta and the Venice Biennale and received the Golden Lion in 2011.
Shaped by Viennese Actionism, his legendary Passstücke emerged in the 1970s: through being carried, held and attached to the body, these prosthesis-like forms adapt to body shapes and give the public the opportunity to interact. Objects become occasions, art becomes situation. West's work breaks boundaries, connects art and life, and inspires generations of artists. A homage to someone who took art off its pedestal and placed it in the middle of life.
On the occasion of Franz West's 80th birthday in February 2027, in Vienna on 5.