Franz West’s Papier-Mâché Playground at David Zwirner

Working in cheap materials such as papier-mâché and plaster, Franz West is best known for his playful and humorous sculptures that highlight our interactions with art and each other.

David Zwirner brings the late artist’s lumpy forms to Los Angeles for an exhibition spanning West’s work from the late 1970s to the early 2000s. Running from 26 October to 16 December 2023, the presentation centres on West’s ‘Legitimate Sculptures’, which he began producing in the early 1990s.

Made from papier-mâché and fragments of everyday objects, West’s misshapen, wonky sculptures suggest several things at once. They might appear as a row of classical busts, a gathering of amorphous faces, or something entirely otherworldly.

Perched on paint-splattered tables, West’s colourful ‘Legitimate Sculptures’ seem absurd, at odds with their pleading, tongue-in-cheek title.

To further pique viewers’ curiosity, the gallery also presents West’s ‘Passstücke (Adaptives)’ series from the mid-1970s. These small, rarely seen sculptures invite interaction, encouraging us to touch, manipulate, and alter their context, offering another glimpse into West’s playful oeuvre.