Franz Erhard Walther - First Work Set

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Comprising fifty-eight fabric elements termed “instruments for process,” this multipart sculpture represents Franz Erhard Walther’s most ambitious work, initiated in 1963 in Düsseldorf and completed in 1969 in New York City. This publication retraces Walther’s innovative use of malleable materials and ephemeral “actions” as foundational to his sculptures, exploring his understanding of language and the enduring significance of drawing in shaping space. The project emerged from the inclusion of this major work in Dia’s collection, featured in the exhibition Franz Erhard Walther: Work as Action at Dia: Beacon from October 2, 2010, to February 15, 2012. Similar to Walther’s other works, the individual fabric elements of this piece are activated by visitors through everyday actions like folding, dropping, leaning, and measuring, often requiring collaboration among participants. Past museum exhibitions have displayed folded archival versions of these elements in vitrines, limiting the direct, performative engagement intended by the artist. For the Dia: Beacon exhibition, Dia collaborated with Walther to allow visitors to handle and perform with several original fabric elements. Additionally, a colloquium event invited scholars to experience the work firsthand and to share new insights on Walther’s oeuvre.