Stefan Ratibor, the Director of Gagosian, London. Zwirner is listed as a supporter of the exhibition and Ledebur interviewed West for the book Extroversion: A Talk (2011). Gallerist David Zwirner, who organised West’s first solo show in New York City in 1993, and after a protracted legal battle continues to represent the estate today, with Vienna-based poet Benedikt Ledebur. Throughout his life, in roles as a gallerist, curator, and museum director, Pakesch advocated for West’s work.īernard Picasso (centre in suit) and Almine Rech (floral), of the eponymous gallery, amongst the opening crowd. Pakesch was actually at the opening but this early photo is posted as a wall decal in the exhibition. Herbert Brandl, Peter Pakesch, Heimo Zobernig, and Franz West at the Peter Pakesch Gallery in Vienna, 1987. Because of this they are working with artist and Franz collaborator, Sarah Lucas, to find creative solutions to creating partitions. Also, because of certain parametres at the Tate, works that can be sat on (interacted with) at the Pompidou will there be off-limits. New works will comprise 10% - 20% of the London iteration. Godfrey said that most, but not all of the exhibition will travel to the Tate in February. Presenhuber and West had a long-lasting working relationship and great respect for each other.Ĭhief Curator Christine Macel of the Pompidou and Senior Curator Mark Godfrey of Tate Modern sitting on the couches covered in carpets, which were abandoned by their owners and then collected by West from Viennese drycleaners. Zurich and New York Gallerist Eva Presenhuber (centre left with camera) photographing the exhibition. One of West’s original collaborators, the musician Freddie Jelinek (left), on the roof of the Pompidou during a break from playing horn and rhythm. There could be no entry more fitting for the exhibition’s opening night. Listening, the spirit of West comes alive. Freddie Jelinack, who looms large over this exhibition as one of West’s original collaborators, is there with horn in hand and accompanied by Philipp Quehenberger (another long-time collaborator) at the keyboard, Didi Kern on drums, and a cool bass clarinet player (whose name I unfortunately missed). Upstairs, on the sixth floor: As one enters the glass foyer, which is lined with couches covered in West’s carpets, musicians play. Later, during the opening reception, the security is vigilant, but when finally entering the museum, one spots the first glimpse of the large and iconic pink sculpture, Rrose/Drama (2011). It is very warm outside and several art world women are spotted at the COS store buying cool dresses for the evening. It is strange to see Franz’s works with partitions around them – set them free! There are also outdoor works at the Musée Picasso Paris and Musée Cognacq-Jay. Later in the afternoon there is a preview, but first I walk from the museum to the Bibliotheque Historique de la Ville de Paris (pictured), where some of West’s outdoor works are already on view. I am here for the opening of the Franz West retrospective at the Pompidou and this fraught “Life’s Good” observational moment seems fitting for a man whose art engaged the dichotomies of ugly and beautiful, suffering and pleasure, sacred and profane. The “Life’s Good” sign hovering over housing buildings on the outskirts of Paris seems almost unironic in the beautiful French late summer sun, except for homeless refugees dwelling along the road embankment as one enters the City of Lights. And sometimes names are pointed out, or a brief description or elaboration or titles – just like one might do while looking through photos from the previous few days. It’s a group of images mostly from the opening of “Franz West” at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. This is a notional journal of sorts, but Wittgenstein demystified the notion of “observational self-knowledge” so hopefully Franz West will forgive me.
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