Erwin Wurm’s motley crew of dresses and sausages cuts a carpet at Yorkshire Sculpture Park — Colossal



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#Erwin Wurm #humor #sculpture

Dancing business suits, a leggy handbag and twisted vehicles are just some of the eerie scenes visitors to Yorkshire Sculpture Park will encounter this summer. Acclaimed Austrian artist Erwin Wurmthe first large-scale museum exhibition in the UK, Truth trapit includes nearly 75 sculptures indoors and scattered across the landscape, as well as numerous drawings, paintings, photographs and videos made over the past three decades.

Wurm started making art out of inexpensive everyday items like used clothes, wood scraps, and tin cans. While experimenting with materials and ideas, he had an epiphany: « At a certain point, I realized that everything around me can be material for an artistic work, absolutely everything… That was the decisive step, because then everything it was possible ». Now known for playful, surreal and often humorous installations, the artist challenges perceptions of the human body, everyday objects and sculpture itself.

« Great Disobedience » (2016)

Wurm often comically tangles with ideas about politics and culture, referencing capitalism, cultural norms and social conformism. Giving workwear a life of its own and transforming it from dull gray to playful pink, he separates the wearer from the symbol, leaving them free to move on their own. A giant water bottle, a much-loved comfort item, is personified with a pair of shoes and titled « Big Mutter »—mumble means « mother » in German, along with other references to her nation’s identity and history, such as anthropomorphized Vienna sausages.

The title Truth trap nods to the 17th-century French mathematician and philosopher Rene Descartes, who immortalized the phrase « I think, therefore I am », while questioning the subjectivity of truth. Wurm captures an eerie sense of joy, prompting viewers to question what they see and how they relate to the world around them.

Truth trap continue until 28 April 2024 and you can find more at Yorkshire Sculpture Park website. Explore more of Wurm’s work on his website and go Instagram.

« Great Hypnosis » (2008)

« Renault 25 » (1991)

From left to right: “Big Disobedience” (2016) and “Big Kastenmann” (2012)

Left: “Big Suit 2” (2010-2016). Right: “Step (Big)” (2021)

From left to right: “Untitled” (2018), “Giant Big, Me Ideal” (2014) and “Untitled” (2018)

« Truck II » (2011)

From left to right: “Dance” (2021) and “Trip” (2021)

#Erwin Wurm #humor #sculpture

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