Franz West, Proforma

West seeks interaction between the object and the audience. He invites the visitors to touch, hold, carry or sit on his playful sculptures. These so-called passtücke consist of discarded objects that the artist has encased in plaster, papier-mâché or plastic, whereby they become nondescript organic forms – and the visitors can themselves recognize all sorts of forms in them. Accordingly, the review of the exhibition in the NRC Handelsblad has the headline: ‘Walking with an apple fritter’. Some objects are actually wearable, as clothing or jewellery, while others are very awkward to lift, so the carrier has to adjust his or her movements. West therefore describes these sculptures as ‘materialized thoughts or neuroses’.

The presentation also includes seven columns, which are intended to be carried around by naked people, as can be seen on the invitation to the opening. A text on the wall reads that anyone who is interested can report to the reception.

A number of his furniture sculptures are placed in the Van Gogh Gallery. These consist of fragile metal frames from discarded pieces of furniture, covered with fabrics and carpets made by fellow artists. The recently acquired installation Clamp is also shown in the exhibition. This is a reconstruction of the studio where he lived together with his brother, who committed suicide. The original floor of the studio is a part of the installation.

A German-language catalogue accompanies the touring exhibition, which had already visited Austria and Switzerland, and would travel on to the Czech Republic and Poland after Otterlo.