b. 1954
Austrian-born sculptor Erwin Wurm currently lives and works in Austria and sometimes New York. Wurm studied at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, and is highly regarded for his Austrian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (2017).
Wurm crafts vibrant, humorous sculptures that playfully distort common items. He transforms cars and houses into comically exaggerated forms, blurs the line between furniture and wearable pieces, and grants luxury items an almost life-like presence. His work delves into deeper inquiries about politics, consumerism, and our perceptions of the significance of everyday objects.
His notable works include One Minute Sculptures, Fat Car series, Narrow House and From Men’s Size 38 to Size 48 in Eight Days. Wurm has been awarded the Grand Austrian State Prize (2013), the 59th GNMH Award (2021), and has received an honorary doctorate from the University of Belgrade (2022).
Wurm’s works are held in the collections of The Guggenheim, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Walker Art Center, Museum Ludwig, Kunstmuseum St. Gallen, Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon, Museum of Old and New Art and the Centre Pompidou.
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Erwin Wurm’s Perfect Day: “I’d ask Piero Manzoni if it’s really his crap in the can”
