As part of his solo exhibition titled Attempt to Be a Sculpture, Franz Erhard Walther will engage with the audience in an artist talk. In this conversation, Walther will delve into his artistic approach, which has evolved since the late 1950s, focusing on themes such as the artwork, the body, action, time, space, language, and architecture. His unique perspective transforms the viewer into a living component of the artwork through active participation. Walther will also discuss the various disciplines and creative processes that have influenced his practice, including significant contributions from Byzantine architecture.
The exhibition Attempt to Be a Sculpture takes its name from a performative artwork Walther created in 1958. This show centers on the multi-layered relationships the artist has constructed between the body, action, and sculpture throughout his long-standing career. Walther’s first comprehensive solo exhibition in Turkey presents a selection of his individual works and series, produced primarily using paper, print, paint, and fabric since the 1960s. Displayed across the 3rd and 4th-floor galleries of Arter, the exhibition invites viewers to experience sculpture beyond conventional definitions, through bodily gestures, process, and participation.
The event will be conducted in English, with simultaneous translation provided.
Admission is free, and no registration is required.
Approximate duration: 60 minutes*
*The event will be recorded. The duration may vary depending on audience interaction.
Franz Erhard Walther (b. 1939, Fulda) began his artistic practice in the late 1950s in Fulda, Germany. His work revolves around the radical concept of openness. Initially focused on material processes, Walther’s practice gradually shifted towards incorporating the audience as active participants in the creation of the artwork. This transformation became especially pronounced in 1963, with the production of the first objects of his First Work Set. This shift emphasized a dynamic process based on theoretical frameworks that anticipate the existence of the work before its actual realization, allowing opposing approaches to coexist.
Walther’s works explore the fluid configurations of the body within space and architecture, investigating the permutations of forms, methods, and language. In 2017, he was awarded the Golden Lion for Best Artist at the Venice Biennale. His works have been exhibited at renowned institutions, including The Museum of Modern Art (New York, USA, 1970), Museum Ludwig (Cologne, Germany, 1977), Nationalgalerie Berlin (Berlin, Germany, 1981), Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum (Eindhoven, Netherlands, 1984), Atatürk Cultural Center Art Gallery (Istanbul, Turkey, 1993), and many others, most recently at Bundeskunsthalle (Bonn, Germany, 2024).
Walther’s work continues to challenge and redefine the boundaries between the viewer and the artwork, inviting an ever-evolving dialogue that bridges action and form.
