Franz West: The Revolution of Sculpture

Preview: written before the show opened

In the 1970s Franz West made what the museum calls "prothesis-like objects": lumpy forms meant to be worn, held and applied to the body. These are his Adaptives (Passstücke in German), and the museum's one-line summary of them is "objects become opportunities, art becomes a situation." This retrospective for what would have been his 80th birthday is where they get the most room.

The announced works include Sisyphos (2002), Uncle Chair (2001–2007), Symbol of Sexuality (1999–2000) and the Wegener Rooms (1988), alongside objects from other collections. West (1947–2012) won the Golden Lion at the 2011 Venice Biennale, and the museum describes him as unruly, wilful and funny. The Adaptives were made to be picked up, which is more than you can say for anything behind a "Bitte nicht berühren" sign in the rest of Vienna.

It opens on 6 November 2026 and runs to 29 March 2027. Admission is €17.90, and the Wien Museum opens its own Franz West show the same day.