Erwin Wurm : The artist who swallowed the world

Résumé : In his wonderfully ambiguous One Minute Sculptures, which are only humorous at first glance, Erwin Wurm takes a literal approach to sculpture while also deconstructing it. On the one hand, his Fat Car and Fat House are spirited, thoughtful critiques of consumer culture, but they are also simple to comprehend. Wurm coolly manipulates and deforms his seemingly melancholy protagonists, their paradoxical actions, grotesque grimaces, and strained poses giving rise to fundamental questions concerning normality and the meaning or the lack of it in both artistic conventions and human actions. Anyone who knows Wurm s work looks forward to and enjoys every new work produced by the Vienna-based artist. This informative monograph offers many new, previously unpublished videos, sculptures, installations, and performances. Wurm s profoundly humane art is an eye-opener to social forces, always leaving room for alternative or playful interpretations.