Franz West

Through co-authorship and collaboration as well as through the re-launching of works from various creative phases and involvement by other artists, West introduced a subversive and often humorous form of play with the way authorship is attributed to artworks. With this in mind, it is important to note another significant work by West, named "Extroversion", that was conceived for the 2011 Biennale di Venezia. In this work, West practically turned the walls of his studio kitchen inside out. Made by friends, colleagues, and co-workers, it involves 43 different artistic works that similarly upend themselves. While retaining their autonomy, they also come together to form a larger, more complex work of art. In addition to the typical conceptual displacement between work and the author, "Extroversion" also introduces a new and exciting aspect of West's experience and treatment of space and architecture. The work itself, therefore, forms the starting point for an additional focus of the publications, one that concretely explores his approach toward space and architecture. The publication is accompanying the exhibition by the same name at the 21er Haus and shows Franz West together with Jean-Marc Bustamante, Plamen Dejanoff & Svetlana Heger, Marina Faust, Urs Fischer, Gelatin, Douglas Gordon, Richard Hoeck, Franz Kapfer, Mike Kelley, Sarah Lucas, Otto Muehl, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Rudolf Polanszky, Andreas Reiter Raabe, Anselm Reyle, Tamina Sirbiladze, Hans Weigand, Erwin Wurm und Heimo Zobernig