Erwin Wurm’s objects in the sculpture park of the Middelheim Museum (NL)
Fat House, 2003 (c)Erwin Wurm
From 29 May to 25 September 2011, the Middelheim Museum in Antwerp becomes a playground for the contemporary artist Erwin Wurm. Spread across the permanent exhibtion, the Austrian artist presents about 25 works under the title WEAR ME OUT. The exhibition includes items from international collections and new works to accompany the visitor through the Sculpture Park and Wurm’s wonderful art world.
Wurm frees sculpture entirely from its traditional corsets. A sculpture is still often associated with "forever". Wurm questions this association by conferring the same status on a body and its image. For his figures, he uses not only durable materials, but also the human body. Bronze, polystyrene and polyester in contrast to flesh and blood. The notorious "One Minute Sculptures" are an example. This human body - in addition to the material - is also the subject of many of Wurm’s works. He is the starting point for a game with size, scale and volume, with form and formlessness.
Color is an important aspect in the work of this artist. Wurm’s colorful characters have an enormous appeal to the viewer. Behind the funny shapes and rich colors also hides a dark side. Subliminally, Wurm’s work points to crippling doubt, vanity, laziness, indifference, impatience, etc. Recognizable situations are pointed out to the visitor that are painful, but also humorous.
Collaboration with fashion designer Walter Van Beirendonck
Clothing plays an important role for Wurm’s work, both in terms of texture and form. Clothing forms a part of his exploration of the limits of the human body, a means for deforming objects. For him, this is a way to take everyday objects out of their immediate environment and into art, such as furniture, houses, cars, buckets, plastic bottles, sandwiches, etc.
In the fashion city of Antwerp, he seizes the opportunity to work with fashion designer Walter Van Beirendonck. Van Beirendonck often experiments - as does Wurm - with volume, color, layers, and (the restriction of) freedom of movement.
The cooperation between the two artists in the Middelheim Museum takes place in Braempaviljoen and constitutes a part of the overall installation that Wurm developed there. As part of the group "Performative Sculptures," which Wurm presents, particular attention is focused on the living sculptures that the two artists create.
"Performative Sculptures"
A completely new series of "furniture" - art works, for which the artist turned used furniture into whole new pieces - are the stage for "Performative Sculptures". Every day during the show, following the artist’s instructions, someone takes on the form of a sculpture, in or on the works of art. The “Performative Sculptures” will be performed by a group during the opening on 28 May, during the Museum Night on 6 August and the final event on 25 September.
The exhibition catalog is published by Hatje Cantz and is available in the Museum Shop or at book stores.
