Lot 638 D

In 1998, 99 copies of the chair 'Freiherr von Knigge' are created which Franz West designed together with Heimo Zobernig for the exhibition for the AB Austria Exposición Arquitectura en el siglo XX in Seville. The chair is based on the model of a former white steel chair, which is part of the installation 'Kantine' at Museum Ludwig back in November 1998. The seats and backrests are made of chip board covered with carpet in fifteen different colours, following a colour scheme by Heimo Zobernig. The title refers to Heimo Zobernig's book project 'Freiherr von Knigge: Über den Umgang mit Menschen (about dealing with people). Heimo Zobernig. Über den Umgang mit Büchern' (about dealing with books) of 1990.
As early as the 1970s, the so-called 'adaptives', works of art that can be used and depend upon the active participation of the public, are created in the oeuvre of Franz West. The interest in furniture is a further development from the 'adaptives', the quest for a crossing of bounderies enabled by the usability of an artist-made object. First of all, since the 1990s, chairs were created that were presented in individual installations (Kantine 1998, Museum Ludwig Cologne/ 100 Stühle, 1998 Museum Rooseum, Malmö 1999) or positioned next to the works of other artists. Thereafter, West expands the production to include lamps, tables and bookshelves etc. His furniture alternates bewteen articles of everyday use and objects of art, pursuing the objective of art without limits: 'When you sit down, you are sitting in the midst of art. I am interested in the aspect of sensitivities. The recipient also, not only the artist, should immerge himself, as if it was a different reality.' (Franz West, Gespräch mit W. Drechsler, in: J. Schlebrügge und I. Turian (ed.), Franz West. Gesammelte Gespräche und Interviews, Cologne 2005, p.17).