Untitled (study for 3-part diagonal construction for the Kestner Gesellschaft, Hanover, not executed) 1987

Editor: We are looking at Fred Sandback's "Untitled (study for 3-part diagonal construction for the Kestner Gesellschaft, Hanover, not executed)" from 1987, which is a drawing. Its lines are so subtle they almost disappear. It gives the impression of lightness and ephemerality. How do you interpret this work, considering it was a proposal for a construction that never came to be? Curator: That absence, the “not executed” part of the title, is key. Sandback’s work engages deeply with the context of the gallery and challenges conventional notions of sculpture. Think about the late 1960s and 70s when minimalism emerged, questioning art's marketability and institutional critique. The very act of proposing a minimal intervention, almost invisible, for a prestigious institution like the Kestner Gesellschaft raises questions about the role and expectations of art itself. How does its potential public visibility influence your understanding of this subtle proposal? Editor: It makes me think about how much power institutions have in validating or suppressing artistic visions. Did the piece being "un-executed" impact Sandback's career or artistic standing at the time? Curator: The piece's non-realization certainly highlights the complex relationship between the artist, the institution, and the potential audience. But Sandback's position was secure, though. He critiqued but also benefitted from institutional support, revealing the art world’s inherent contradictions. Think of it as a silent, ghostly proposal, eternally questioning the institution from the realm of the unmade. What do you take away from knowing that, despite being "un-executed", the idea remains preserved, circulated, and contemplated in a drawing? Editor: That's a great point, it almost feels like the drawing challenges the necessity of the physical object itself. I initially focused on its delicate aesthetics but now, it's clear the drawing’s value comes from what it implies about the broader art system. Curator: Exactly! This interplay between absence and presence, idea and execution, and institution and artist, makes this subtle drawing incredibly rich and insightful.