Franz Erhard Walther: Les couleurs sont des actions de la lumière…

The exhibition inaugurates Galerie Jocelyn Wolff’s new space in Paris and presents a selection of works by Franz Erhard Walther spanning from the early 1970s to the present. Central to the presentation are works from his “Wall Formations” series, which explore the relationship between body, space, and color. Key pieces include Für Körper (1988), where fabric elements structure space geometrically, allowing activation by the bodies that occupy it; Ergänzen und brechen zugleich (1985), a wall-mounted sculpture of colored fabric panels that can be arranged in multiple configurations; and Schwarz-Gelb, fünf Stellen (1980), which combines flatness, geometric forms, and a large canvas to create surfaces that engage the viewer’s gaze and imagination. For the first time, 76 work drawings from 1972 are presented, reflecting Walther’s process and the graphic translation of the sculptural elements of his Erste Werksatz (1963–1969). The exhibition is completed by recent Probenähungen (Trial Sewing) pieces, composed of colored and monochrome fabric tubes, synthesising his exploration of volume, two-dimensionality, image, and the interaction between observer and work. Through these selections, the presentation highlights Walther’s ongoing engagement with the activation of space, materiality, and perception, demonstrating his interest in color, volume, and the imagination.