Franz Erhard Walther

Private Collection, Chicago

Franz Erhard Walther is recognized as a pioneer of participatory art. His straightforward objects, drawings, and installations address their viewers with partly tactile, partly intellectual stimuli, triggering in the viewer the temptation to act. Walther’s oeuvre, which now spans over five decades, presents an exemplary variety of methodological approaches, and is openly expressive of the inherent challenges that accompany operating within a framework contingent upon the participation or direct engagement of the public. By addressing these concerns head-on, Walther’s work transforms the individual act of art appreciation into a more collective, even democratic, enterprise.

Recent solo exhibitions of Walther’s work include those at r/e projects, Madrid; National Gallery, Singapore; and Galerie Jocelyn Wolff, Paris. His work has been included in exhibitions at Gallery 360, Tokyo; Peter Freeman Inc., New York; and Koch Oberhuber Wolff, Berlin.

Please note that while this auction is hosted on Sothebys.com, it is being administered by the Art Institute of Chicago’s Society for Contemporary Art (the “SCA”), and all post-sale matters (inclusive of invoicing and property pickup/shipment) will be handled by the SCA. As such, Sotheby’s will share the contact details for the winning bidders with the SCA so that they may be in touch directly post-sale.