Erwin Wurm
„Everything is sculpture,“ says Erwin Wurm, and the Austrian artist puts that motto into action. Since studying sculpture in Salzburg and Vienna in the 1980s, Wurm has been reinterpreting the art form according to his needs and ideas. Going beyond its classic, three-dimensional shape, he turns even two-dimensional media such as drawings and photos into sculpture. Questioning accepted definitions, Wurm likewise challenges our perception of everyday objects: cars and houses become wobbly objects that are inflated and soft; a slice of bread morphs into a miniature stage on which rests a knob of butter sculpted into an actor; a sweater becomes a sculpture through interaction with a human being. The latter refers to Wurm’s seminal work, One Minute Sculptures, an ongoing series that brought him renown, especially after it inspired the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s music video, ‚Can’t Stop.‘
One Minute Sculptures become sculptures only when a spectator interacts with it. The sweater is exhibited alongside explicit instructions on how it should be worn. The wearer then freezes in that position for as long as 60 seconds, transforming the sweater into a static, yet dynamic, sculpture. This simple concept can have a profound impact, especially on the performer. Wurm stumbled upon this realization when he tried mutating into a sculpture himself. The emotions that it generated convinced him to pass the challenge on to his audience.
We met the 60-year-old artist during his One Minute Sculpture exhibition at Städel Museum in Frankfurt. Just before we sat down with him, we interacted with the sweaters ourselves to understand the intended impact of the installation. We discussed how sculpting compares to gaining or losing weight, and how art serves as a chronologist of our time. Read more »
Antwan Horfee
Horfee’s artistic past straddles both the official and the illicit. He studied at the school of fine arts in his hometown of Paris and he painted graffiti. Seamlessly moving between media, Horfee’s style is inspired by everything from European abstract painting to homemade tattoos, vintage animations and underground comics. Whether completing a piece in public outside or painting on canvas or sculpting, Horfee retains a signature style marked by powerful, vibrant color and loose edges. Proudly displaying their flaws instead of hiding them, Horfee’s works neatly blur boundaries between street culture and the restrictions of fine art.
With Traditional Occupations, his first show with Ruttkowski;68 gallery, Horfee challenges the power of prevailing standards. Where do they come from and why do we adhere to them instead of defining new ones? Even structures springing from subversive cultures eventually go mainstream. Whether we should accept them or re-interpret them into a contemporary revolt is a question of personal approach, one that surely depends on the extent to which we are occupied by tradition.
We met the French artist during the preparations of his show and discussed both its title and meaning. Read more »
