Every Weltempfänger is unique, but some are less unique than others. In 1987, pretty early into her World Receiver project, Isa Genzken made an edition of 18 these shortwave radio-shaped sculptures of cast concrete & antennae. They’re identical in shape, presumably made from the same mold, and so are distinct in their individual surface finish.
The one for sale this week at Lempertz, no. 8/18, had the antenna replaced this year, so maybe that’s unique, too. We’ll let the market judge that.
Auction houses are the only ones I’ve seen talking about this edition, and they always describe it as from the Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen, Düsseldorf. Now the KfdRuWD certainly has an excellent edition program, including Genzken’s incredible mosaic mirror, Spiegelbild, published in 2001. But that also seems to be the first time Genzken showed at the Kunstverein. And the editions archive does not include the Weltempfänger. In fact, it doesn’t include any editions between 1976 and 1991, much less 1987.
They’re also always described as registered in the Genzken Archive at Galerie Buchholz, so they’re confusing, but not shady. Could this Weltempfänger edition be related to something else Genzken was up to in 1987? Like, maybe her first show with Buchholz? Titled Weltempfänger? In late 1987 Genzken installed a now-iconic table full of various Weltempfänger in the window of Musix GmbH, a music supply store down the street from Buchholz’s gallery in Köln. Maybe this edition, like the tablescape, was an early experiment in how best to send Weltempfänger out into the world.
[ACTUALLY ASKED UPDATE] Never mind. Thanks to Galerie Buchholz for confirming Genzken did indeed make the edition for the Kunstverein. The brochure also notes Genzken’s participation in the 1987 Skulptur Projekte Münster.]