In December 2022, a group of sculptures by Franz West was erected on Esteplatz in Vienna-Erdberg, the location of his last studio in Vienna. From the very beginning of his artistic career, Franz West questioned the view that art objects can only be viewed reflectively. Even his earliest sculptural works, created from the mid-1970s onwards and later called Passstücke, were intended to actively involve the viewer as an equal counterpart in the process of experiencing art. The Passstücke were to be taken off the plinth and “used” - only this would give the sculptures their true meaning and complete them. The seating objects created from the early 1980s onwards, which also invite use, took this idea further. Here, too, the reactions to the work are understood as an integral part of the work itself.

Later, Franz West became interested in the idea that an interaction with the viewer takes place on a mental level. The works can be stimuli for reflection, which the artist himself often encouraged in the form of titles or texts. The large group of outdoor sculptures should also be seen in this context. -Publisher