Fats Porsches, thick bellies, knitted walls: Erwin Wurm’s sculptures, surreal, philosophical, and always full of wit. Two exhibitions in Duisburg from his works.
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Sculptor Erwin Wurm in Duisburg: The art of the head
Powerful
This oversized Boxing glove mill on a Pedestal in front of the Museum küpper and draws the eyes in Duisburg. Another copy is in the Luther exhibition in Wittenberg. At the point of the ring finger there is a Dent. Drove a car? Dry Humor, as he typically is for the work of the Austrian artist Erwin Wurm.
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Sculptor Erwin Wurm in Duisburg: The art of the head
Obese Tendencies
The sculpture is wrapped in half. The exhibition (opening 7.7.2017) is located at the time of the recording. The plastic wrap almost looks as if it belongs to a work of art. Worm, fat people sculptures are a serious eye-catcher: “First to laugh. But if you look again, and maybe again, manifested a deeper meaning,” says worm.
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Sculptor Erwin Wurm in Duisburg: The art of the head
Small size in Pink
With its “Fat Cars” and other sculptures in the XXL Format worm is internationally known. But the sculptor also works in smaller dimensions. In the Lehmbruck Museum in Duisburg, these sculptures seem almost like models. Also, you manage to confuse at first glance, to the viewer, inviting a closer look.
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Sculptor Erwin Wurm in Duisburg: The art of the head
Provocative Gesture
It is the sculptural principle, the extension of the Sehggewohnheiten, less the sculpture as a classical Form, interested Erwin Wurm explains his working principle. “There are always two works of art: the one’s in my head, the other stands in front of me. If both are congruent, it is optimal. But that is never the case.”
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Sculptor Erwin Wurm in Duisburg: The art of the head
Situation Comedy
Erwin Wurm’s Humor is also as an art figure. Here he seems to take on the well-known symbol of the three monkeys. However, unlike the monkey icon, he seems to be very good to see, to hear and to speak. With his profound way, he is able to get the artist as the Creator of the Socket.
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Sculptor Erwin Wurm in Duisburg: The art of the head
Giant-I
Not only are his sculptures are bursting with gigantism. Also his likeness, he puffs up huge. The artist-I’m smiling at the viewer from a wall-filling mural. Here is a search screen for eye-catcher: Who’s the artist??
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Sculptor Erwin Wurm in Duisburg: The art of the head
“Folly of the artist”
Truck kisses earth: Erwin Wurm played at this year’s Venice Biennale (2017) the Nations-pavilion of Austria. Together with the light artist Brigitte Krowanz he has placed inside and outside of his special sculptures: Here is a walk-in truck. Inside his “One Minute sculptures” for visitors.
-
Sculptor Erwin Wurm in Duisburg: The art of the head
Powerful
This oversized Boxing glove mill on a Pedestal in front of the Museum küpper and draws the eyes in Duisburg. Another copy is in the Luther exhibition in Wittenberg. At the point of the ring finger there is a Dent. Drove a car? Dry Humor, as he typically is for the work of the Austrian artist Erwin Wurm.
-
Sculptor Erwin Wurm in Duisburg: The art of the head
Obese Tendencies
The sculpture is wrapped in half. The exhibition (opening 7.7.2017) is located at the time of the recording. The plastic wrap almost looks as if it belongs to a work of art. Worm, fat people sculptures are a serious eye-catcher: “First to laugh. But if you look again, and maybe again, manifested a deeper meaning,” says worm.
-
Sculptor Erwin Wurm in Duisburg: The art of the head
Small size in Pink
With its “Fat Cars” and other sculptures in the XXL Format worm is internationally known. But the sculptor also works in smaller dimensions. In the Lehmbruck Museum in Duisburg, these sculptures seem almost like models. Also, you manage to confuse at first glance, to the viewer, inviting a closer look.
-
Sculptor Erwin Wurm in Duisburg: The art of the head
Provocative Gesture
It is the sculptural principle, the extension of the Sehggewohnheiten, less the sculpture as a classical Form, interested Erwin Wurm explains his working principle. “There are always two works of art: the one’s in my head, the other stands in front of me. If both are congruent, it is optimal. But that is never the case.”
-
Sculptor Erwin Wurm in Duisburg: The art of the head
Situation Comedy
Erwin Wurm’s Humor is also as an art figure. Here he seems to take on the well-known symbol of the three monkeys. However, unlike the monkey icon, he seems to be very good to see, to hear and to speak. With his profound way, he is able to get the artist as the Creator of the Socket.
-
Sculptor Erwin Wurm in Duisburg: The art of the head
Giant-I
Not only are his sculptures are bursting with gigantism. Also his likeness, he puffs up huge. The artist-I’m smiling at the viewer from a wall-filling mural. Here is a search screen for eye-catcher: Who’s the artist??
-
Sculptor Erwin Wurm in Duisburg: The art of the head
“Folly of the artist”
Truck kisses earth: Erwin Wurm played at this year’s Venice Biennale (2017) the Nations-pavilion of Austria. Together with the light artist Brigitte Krowanz he has placed inside and outside of his special sculptures: Here is a walk-in truck. Inside his “One Minute sculptures” for visitors.
Outside it is still cool. The morning sun is hidden under the soft gray clouds hanging over the Duisburg inland port. Right in front of the entrance of the brick Museum Küppersmühle is an imposing sets outdoor sculpture, a color of strong characters: an oversized Boxing glove, matte surface, in a clear Signal Orange. Typical of Erwin Wurm, I think in passing. The volatile memory of an oversized hot water bottle, also positioned vertically as a sculpture, with the relationship-rich title of “The mother” is.
Inside busy calm before the storm. The last set-up day before the official press conference, the exhibition is not quite yet. Last hand are rich do, the tool and the vacuum cleaner standing carelessly in the way. A lot had to be changed at the last Minute – on the spontaneous desire of the artist, suggests the curator telling. A whole wall was ready, the hanging perfectly arranged. Now, the majority of the small stick is working on the ground. The Team is packaging the V-frame back for the Depot.
Fat man welcomes the visitors
Principle: a master of the ironic abyss
The artist is not here yet. Curator Jörg Mascherrek checked whether or not it all depends on how arranged exactly in its place. We cross the high, largely empty spaces. An ideal presentation platform, especially for the large format Work of Erwin Wurm. 5.20 meters of height of elastic knitted fabric pulls to one side in pea Green and bright pink on the mile-long walls. Ten volunteers with trucks were needed to work with clip-tight strips to fix to the wall. Against the light you can see the seams of the individual parts. “Rapt attention” would also be a good title, I think.
A total of 420 meters of the artists in Thailand to manufacture, explained to me, the curator, the craft part of the work. A small knitted work of only 40 meters in width had already been in Bangkok.
In the meantime, Erwin Wurm has arrived, friendly, attentive to the brief Moment of greeting. But the restlessness that drives him. In the precise quick passage of the tall artist crosses mill all the long-range exhibition in the küpper. His scarce Statements, which he answered by the way journalists ‘ questions, provides it with an Austrian twist of irony – and tells Amazing out of his life as an artist.
In the beginning of his artist life he had simply no money. Cheap waste material the Material for his sculptures, wood residues, metal parts, old underpants, what he had found. Worm shows us one of the early sculpture boxes from the 80s: in the raw wood cube spread, far-stretched, grey ski pants. Funny. And somehow unfathomable. In the next room self-sustaining sweater-Work in a Museum on a pedestal 10,12 sweater arranged: “on top of each other, finished the sculpture,” he laughs.
Philosophy: extension of the concept of Sculpture
For 25 years, the Austrian sculptor and object artist Erwin Wurm works on the development of “open” term “Sculpture” –with wry Humor and a lot of self-irony. “I find it exciting to see what happens when objects of everyday life, just the value of drains,” he says Interview at the DW. Some of it is repeated, the “Fat Cars”, for example, but the worm is always good for Surprises.
The side-view mirror, the artist alienated in a table
In Duisburg he has in a small Cabinet, a complete book, each page individually glued to the wall. As a word-sculpture: “1 book, 4 walls – from size 50 to 54 in eight days.” On one of the last pages of the 12 o’clock position: “in the night: 4 chocolate pancakes, 2 cups Kaukau. 4 o’clock in the night: 2 chocolate bars.”
The result of this alleged ‘self-experiment’ – of course, he had staged this weight gain only artistically effective, admits Erwin Wurm – as a large-format, two-part photographic work in the entrance area of the Museum Küppersmühle: Erwin Wurm, “Hey you and Me”, life-size. Prior to that, an old-fashioned fiesblaue sun lounger made of plastic. “It had to be this Blue. We have found in “Rudi’s rest ramp” here in Duisburg,” laughs curator Macherrek.
Success: top of the world ranking
Erwin Wurm is a seeker. He fights, struggles, and art, although it’s long been one of the extremely well-paid, successful artists. “It’s about the difficulty to cope with life. No matter whether with a diet or philosophy”, he will make a Statement on the Museum flyer printing. As a sculptor, he went to the Vienna Academy with Bazon Brock, in the mind-teaching.
In the international Ranking of TYPE Facts.Net the world ranking of the most important international artists, the Austrian Erwin Wurm, after all, in 17th place, far in front of Richard Serra, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, and even Anselm Kiefer (space 57).
But his nervous tension is also something Professional. Determined worm rushes a little later by the other exhibition Bruck Museum, the second venue of its city of Duisburg, two-person exhibition, spaces in the clay. Only rarely be an artist lingers gaze longer than is just necessary to check, whether everything is properly placed. In passing, he keeps two small pink sculptures. The light has not fallen to him, of a lack of sculptural depth, he notes.
Provocative: a man with “trouble bump”
Attitude: when In doubt – with Humor and behind the sense
Constantly the famous sculptor seems to be in dialogue with himself and his environment. He met with Austrian humour and behind the sense, however, decidedly political, as he stresses several times. The smugness of the status symbols he puts in his Work again and again.
The quick passage through the assembled exhibition is finished. With the architectural characteristics in the Lehmbruck-Museum, he is not satisfied. The “new building”, as the artist calls the modern cultivation in Austria, is given to him. It was left to him nothing else left, as a bold giant wall work. Erwin Wurm Wallpaper as a self-distanced art object on photo.
The man provoked with Lust: The man-high sculpture “trouble bump” (“Anger bumps”) is triggered when building in Duisburg heated discussions. The like to him. But it’s not going to him, as a sculptor, he can craft extremely sophisticated, he has to know. “My Fat Car, for example: If the craft is not perfect, then it does not make it better.” The sentence he can stand and goes on.