Perspective and Possibility with Erwin Wurm

Wordy by Michele Grey

Over the course of his career, Austrian artist Erwin Wurm has radically ex- panded conceptions of sculpture, space and the human form. His works, a blend of abstraction and representation, transform ordinary objects into intriguing art forms, encouraging viewers to see the mundane in a novel light. Wurm’s focus extends beyond mere aesthetics; he delves into the daily deci- sions and existential dilemmas that shape our existence, focusing on objects that define our daily life – from clothing and cars to food and homes.

Among his most innovative contributions are the One Minute Sculptures, where Wurm blurs the line between sculpture and spectator. In these, viewers briefly become part of the artwork, engaging with simple props in a dynamic, participatory experience. This concept subverts traditional sculpture’s static nature, emphasising ephemerality over permanence. These works are not bound by a literal minute; instead they symbolise the transient nature of the experience.

These sculptures often carry a philosophical depth, prompting introspection. By positioning participants in unusual, sometimes paradoxical situations with everyday objects, Wurm invites a moment of self-reflection, offering new per- spectives on the common items integral to our lives. His work is often seen to be redefining sculpture, encouraging a fresh understanding of our relationship with the everyday world.

A-M Journal sat down with Wurm to discuss his creative practice and pro- cess, and the perspective of the absurd.

A-M Journal: You’re well known for your One Minute Sculptures – what was the inspiration for this series?

Erwin Wurm: I went through this terrible time in my life and I didn’t work for one-and-a-half years. During that time, I started to rethink the whole model of what I was working on, and I was concentrating a lot on the issue of sculpture. What is sculpture? What does it mean? What does it mean for me as a human being? Is there any relation to our life, to my life, to our world, to my world?

And I started to ask questions about the notion of sculpture. What is it to cre- ate a sculpture? It’s something that has to do with the second and the third dimension. It has to do with the skin, the surface, the material, time and all these issues. And so, I ask, for example, if I am standing still, or if somebody is standing still – that’s an action, but can it also be a sculpture?

What do I have to do to transfer this into a sculpture? Do I have to slow the movement down? Do I have to make it long, or transfer it into slow motion? Or can it happen by repetition? If I start doing something and I’m able to repeat it constantly, does this create the notion of a sculpture?

I put a salad bowl on the head of my friend Fabio while he was standing quietly, and I filmed him for a minute, and then looped it up to an hour. The people who watch the video see someone standing totally quiet for a long time. But as our brains are not constructed to see quietness, our brains see movements; we imagine movements into the piece.

With all of the models appearing in the series, their fingers were moving a little, and their legs were moving a little. So, this was exactly between an action and the sculpture. And this was going on and going on. And then I also realised that the pieces I did at that time had a beginning, but they also had an end. They were kind of short-living sculptures.

I gave them the name of One Minute Sculptures. One minute is just a synonym for short. It can be 10 seconds or two minutes, or whatever. And what’s most important is that it is a daily life object and a person connected in a weird, psychological, philosophical way.

A-M: And what do you think these interactions reveal about our relationship to objects and the potential for transformation with mundane experiences?

Wurm: I found, for me, the way to look into our world from the perspective of the absurd. The interactions create this absurd moment, sometimes a para- doxical moment. And I think that if someone looks from this perspective into our world, someone might see more of something different, and you are able to reflect on what’s going on. I think it’s kind of a help in a way.

A-M: Is there a spirituality to this work? Maybe one that was born out of trag- edy and made you rethink certain aspects of your life and creative practice?

Wurm: Yes and no, because I always felt that an artwork born out of tragedy was in a way romantic, like the romantic era of the 19th century. But then I realised, for me, it was necessary in a way because I didn’t take care so much in my youth. When I was a young artist or a student, there was this longing to become a great artist and there were these big examples of fantastic artworks and artists and writers and philosophers. But I was not able to connect me as a person to this kind of level and world. And through tragedy, I did, all of a sudden, not care about this anymore, I just wanted to go on and survive.

But I’m still critical of the idea that there is this big bang and then tragic work that the artist has to overcome to become a great artist. I still don’t believe it because it’s still so romantic for me.

A-M: Can you talk a little bit about the humour and sarcasm in your work?

Wurm: Sarcasm and humour can help you see things in a different experience. When I grew up with arts in the ’60s and ’70s, many artists were dealing with the big themes of our lives and the world, but they used a lot of pathos and that makes the work heavy. So, all the people who are standing in front and looking at these gigantic works full of pathos makes the people small, makes the spectator small and suppressed in a way. And I want to make the public levitate. I prefer to speak with lightness about questions of our world and of our time, because I think this is more adequate for our time.

We live such a short time, we throw everything away – nothing seems to last – the cars, even the houses now, and so on. So, I want to find this equivalent of our short living time with the One Minute Sculptures.

A-M: And how do you see the role of the audience in completing your art- works? What are you hoping people take away from experiencing or partici- pating in your work?

Wurm: Well, I don’t hope much because the more you hope, the less the hopes are fulfilled, or your wishes are fulfilled, and that leads you into de- pression and frustration. So, yes, it’s great when people like the pieces, and I think it’s necessary because then you fully understand it as there’s a lot of psychology going on when the public is transferred from a passive spectator role into an active role.

And then again, they are turned into a passive thing because they are also being observed by others, the audience or by the other exhibition visitors. So, it’s this change of perception that is so interesting. Everybody who did it once said it was very interesting because psychologically so many things are going on and you are being watched... You have to pretend to be this and that. You give up your will because you follow the will of the artist. There are many different issues that are interesting.

A-M: What are some of the major challenges you’ve encountered?

Wurm: First, I have to make sure that my art is not, or is not realised by the public, as just banal. Because this would have created big problems for my work, and for me. So I tried to create the one correct surrounding. For many, many years, I only showed the One Minute Sculptures in museum contexts. I got asked many times by people to present them for parties or for birthdays or for concerts and all this, and I always said no. I had to be very strict with the perception of the piece and the environment. I needed this strength and strictness.

I needed to tell people, wait a moment, it’s a real artwork. It’s not a joke and it’s not fun. It can be of course, but it’s not the most important part. The most important part is that you deal with it like you would do yoga, for example. You have to follow it, to do it consciously, mindfully, respectfully, and to keep this certain lightness, easygoing-ness and seriousness at the same time. I’m still trying. Sometimes it’s working, sometimes not.

A-M: Many conceptual artists who are pushing the boundaries can some- times face backlash from the establishment. Did you have moments where the art world was pushing back on you?

Wurm: Sure. But, frankly, I must say I got a lot of support from artists from these different fields related to conceptual art because they found it interest- ing. But, of course, there were always people who said, it’s nonsense. That’s always a part of an artistic life. People like your work and people hate your work.

A-M: Your body of work includes so much more than the One Minute Sculp- tures. Can you tell us about your creative process and philosophy?

Wurm: You know, I always have strong ideas. One good idea for an artist’s career and life is never enough. So, you have to go on with producing ideas, great ideas, but they always in a way have to be connected to the beginning. And you create a certain, let’s say ‘brand’ as an artist. And the work has to fit into this. So, I’m always looking for new ways and new paths, and to try things out and then go forward and backward and in big circles.

And it’s wonderful to work and to create this own world or universe. One thing brings me to the next... It’s like a big journey. And I don’t know where it goes, either. [German artist] Gerhard Richter once said that his paintings are smarter than him. I didn’t understand that at the time but now I understand what he means. If you’re able to let go and follow the work then sometimes it brings a better solution. Some artists have these strict ideas, and they make drawings and plans, and then they follow them strictly until the end, until the piece is translated from the drawing.

I have learned that if, during the production, you follow what the piece is offering, it’s

going to change, but it could become a better work. And this is fantastic. So essentially, I always try to follow my work.

A-M: How do you hope your art will be remembered?

Wurm: I’ve had such a great life with my work, and I still have a great life with my work. I’m happy to be able to travel around nearly the entire globe and show in different venues and countries and cultures, and that’s so great. I have sons and a young wife and a daughter, and my legacy is to give them something. But that’s it. Do I hope that my work survives the next 500 years? No – I hope that our world gets better.