Frieze Masters 2023

Gagosian is pleased to participate in the 2023 edition of Frieze Masters with a presentation of paper-based works by Franz West that spans his career from the early 1970s through the 2010s, conceived in association with the Estate of Franz West and through the initiative of the Franz West Privatstiftung.

Collaging and overpainting imagery from print media, West disrupted the pictorial continuity of his sources and confounded expectations between public display and subjective experience. Blending abstraction and figuration, West’s works on paper exhibit an absurdist wit, with some exploring a mischievous vulgarity through an emphasis on bodily functions and erotic themes. The related Plakatentwürfe (Poster designs) of the 1990s and 2000s combine paint, collage, and digital printing to announce or commemorate West’s exhibitions, and serve as works of art in their own right.

Chosen in collaboration with artist Oscar Murillo, the selection in London highlights West’s irreverence and ingenuity. As Murillo notes, “He has always been a hero. With this presentation for Frieze Masters, it is a huge honor to share a new intimacy with his works: these drawings, sculptures, and furniture. It has been a pleasure to put them together in conversation.”

Download the full press release (PDF)