Franz Erhard Walther

Photograph dating from 1958 showing the German artist Franz Erhard Walther during a performance in which the artist spits water as if he were a living fountain.
Franz Erhard Walther, Versuch eine Skulptur zu sein, 1958 / print 2010, inkjet print on photo paper, 22 x 31.6 cm
Protocol drawing in the form of a storyboard describing the activation protocol for element no. 7 of 1 Werksatz by the German artist Franz Erhard Walther.
Franz Erhard Walther, Nachzeichnung, 1971, pencil on paper, 24.5 x 20 cm
Black and white photograph from 1965 showing the activation by two users of element no. 7 of 1. Werksatz by the German artist Franz Erhard Walther.
Franz Erhard Walther, Feld und Teilung (Field and Division) Example, Single Element n°7 of 1. Werksatz, 1965
Element no. 7 of 1. Werksatz by the German artist Franz Erhard Walther, a relational work consisting of a piece of black canvas and a rope bearing the number 7.
Franz Erhard Walther, Feld und Teilung (Field and Division), Single Element n°7 of 1. Werksatz, 1965, sewn dyed canvas: 100 x 80 x 0.5 cm, lemp chord: ca 100 m
Element no. 7 from 1. Wersatz by Franz Erhard Walther, stored in its white protective fabric pouch, otherwise known as a lagerform.
Franz Erhard Walther, Feld und Teilung (Field and Division), Single Element n°7 of 1. Werksatz, 1965, sewn dyed canvas: 100 x 80 x 0.5 cm, lemp chord: ca 100 m

For its first exhibition, Abraham & Wolff will be showcasing the work of the German artist Franz Erhard Walther (born 1939). Walther, who has created a fundamental body of work at the crossroads of minimalism and conceptualism, revolutionised the traditional approach to sculpture by introducing a participatory dimension into his practice. His major work, 1. Werksatz, which he developed between 1963 and 1969, consists of 58 objects designed to be manipulated by spectators-turned-users.

From amongst this exceptional ensemble, Abraham & Wolff will be presenting Element 7, Feld und Teilung (Field and Division), a work designed to be activated outdoors. In a pioneering presentation, this object will be displayed at the same time as an “operating drawing” which explains its activation protocol in the form of a detailed storyboard. These two works will be exhibited alongside a photograph of the artist discussing his first reflections on the work of art as action.