Franz Erhard Walther
°1939, Fulda (DE) – lives and works in Fulda (DE)
Franz Erhard Walther is a pivotal figure in postwar German art history, embodying both correspondences and departures from the American tradition and the milestone of 1960s Minimalism. His sculptural work, like that of Donald Judd and Robert Morris, often sought to engage viewer perception as well as the forms of exhibition and storage that framed it – concerns that have proven to be of increasing significance for contemporary art in recent years. Drawing, though, has always been a primary way in which the artist has articulated his unique perspective on the artwork, viewership, and their performative dimensions. As was evident in the photographic series Versuch, eine Skulptur zu sein (1958), which was included in the artist’s solo exhibition at ZKM, Karlsruhe, this year, his own body and the way in which it is conceived of by viewers has also been a significant site for this investigation.
(courtesy of Texte Zur Kunst)
Franz Erhard Walther – installation view at MAMCO, Geneva in 2010 (Photo by Ilmari Kalkkinen)
Franz Erhard Walther – installation view at MAMCO, Geneva in 2010 (Photo by Ilmari Kalkkinen)
Franz Erhard Walther – Objects, to use - Instruments for processes, exhibition view at Museo Jumex, Mexico City, 2018 (Photo by Abigail Enzaldo and Emilio García)
Franz Erhard Walther – Objects, to use - Instruments for processes, exhibition view at Museo Jumex, Mexico City, 2018 (Photo by Abigail Enzaldo and Emilio García)
Franz Erhard Walther – Objects, to use - Instruments for processes, exhibition view at Museo Jumex, Mexico City, 2018 (Photo by Abigail Enzaldo and Emilio García)
Franz Erhard Walther had numerous solo exhibitions. Recent solo exhibitions include Reina Sofia, Madrid; Ludwig Forum, Aachen; The Power Plant, Toronto; CAPC, Bordeaux; Dia Art Foundation, Beacon – New York; Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Geneva; and Wiels, Brussels.
Recent group show include Casa Franca Brasil, Rio de Janeiro; Drawing Room, London; Fondazione Prada, Venice; Haus der Kunst, München; MUMOK, Vienna; CIFO Art Space, Miami; Museu Serralves, Porto; and K21, Düsseldorf. At the 2017 Venice Biennale, Franz Erhard Walther won the Golden Lion for the best artist.
Franz Erhard Walther is represented by the following galleries;
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Franz Erhard Walther – installation view at Wiels, Brussels in 2014 (Photo by Jose Huedo)
Franz Erhard Walther – installation view at Wiels, Brussels in 2014 (Photo by Jose Huedo)
Franz Erhard Walther – Work Drawing- Subdivision, 1969
Franz Erhard Walther – Work Drawing- Falling Piece, 1967
Franz Erhard Walther – Sechs Ummantelungen, 1998
Franz Erhard Walther – Modellsammlung, 1983
