To mark the opening of Garmenting: Costume as Contemporary Art, MAD visitors are invited to view the activation of Franz Erhard Walther’s Werksatz (First Work Set), a pioneering work of participatory art the artist introduced in 1963. Trained facilitators will activate Walther’s wearable fabric sculptures, which are completed through individual or collective participation. Werksatz (First Work Set) has not been activated in New York City in over a decade, making this a must-see event for anyone interested in contemporary art.

The activation of Werksatz (First Work Set) is part of a series of live performances for the exhibition Garmenting: Costume as Contemporary Art. The exhibition is the first global survey to examine the use of clothing as a medium of visual art. By either making or altering clothing for expressive purposes, the thirty-five international artists in the exhibition create garments, sculpture, installation, and performance art that transforms dress into a critical tool for exploring issues of subjectivity, identity, and difference.

This event is free with Museum admission. 

Franz Erhard Walther (Germany, b. 1939), Für Zwei (For Two), Single Element No. 31, First Work Set, 1967. Canvas, 18 1/2 × 48 7/8 in. (47 × 124 cm). Courtesy the artist and Peter Freeman, Inc., New York. © Franz Erhard Walther/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo: Nicholas Knight