Publisher's Synopsis
In the series of the Performative Sculptures, Wurm gets his hands dirty, attacking models or raw blocks of clay and deforming them by either physical exertion alone or other external means.Afterwards, the artist often casts the abused models in either bronze, aluminium, iron, or polyester resin, and then paints them either in colour or with an applied patina.Tension arises in the dialogue between the original form of objects and the traces left by the performative interventions, which turn the body into the material and the medium of action.In the early 1990s, Erwin Wurm began developing a completely new form of artistic expression with his Performative Sculptures, which will be comprehensively presented at the 21er Haus for the first time.A majority of the 54 performative sculptures and statues have been developed especially for this exhibition.The exhibition catalogue provides comprehensive insight into Erwin Wurm's cycle of works and analyses Wurm's works against the background of his artistic development.English and German text.Accompanies the exhibition, Erwin Wurm: Performative Sculptures at 21er Haus, Vienna, Austria (2 June - 10 September 2017).
