Galerie Eva Presenhuber in Zurich has opened "Franz West, Die Frühen Werke / Early Works," the gallery's twelfth exhibition dedicated to the late Austrian artist Franz West (1947–2012). The show surveys West's output from 1975 to 1990, highlighting his early sculptures, drawings, collages, and his signature interactive "Passstücke" (Adaptives)—pieces designed to be moved, worn, or played with by viewers. The exhibition runs through October 3, 2025.
The exhibition matters because it reframes West's legacy as a pioneer of genre resistance, challenging the notion that his work was merely rebellious. By revisiting his formative years, the show underscores how West's integration of participatory elements and found materials anticipated contemporary art's ongoing concerns with audience engagement and the blurring of art and design. West, who won the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 2011, remains a highly influential figure, and this focused look at his early career offers fresh insight into the foundations of his practice.