Introduction
Erwin Wurm is undoubtedly one of Austria’s and one of the world’s most recognizable artists. Using social taboos and absurd scenarios to create his thought-provoking work, Wurm’s artworks have broken boundaries and changed how people approach and view art in contemporary society.
How to be politically incorrect
How to be Politically Incorrect consists of a strange series of photos depicting human beings in several awkward situations that would otherwise be deemed politically incorrect in any part of the world. The series of photos was created between the years 2002 and 2003.
How to be Politically Incorrect comprised several inappropriate scenarios that should never happen in real life, such as a woman peeing on a rug, as well as a scene containing a man whose head is stuck beneath a woman’s blouse. Comic and absurd, each of these scenarios was created to question political and social standards as human beings understand them today.
Challenging societal ethics
For years, Wurm has been creating facetious skits that challenge the rules of stability and societal ethics. Each of these works is created using photographs, performances, installations, and videos with the subjects or the actors posed in particular compromising situations. The subjects or mannequins in the series were made with simplicity in mind to come as close to resembling real human beings as possible.
In the series, the subjects and the various scenes were designed to represent events that take place in daily life and Wurm emphasized their ridiculous nature to drive the point home. By relying on absurdities to make up his work, Erwin forces the viewer to confront and challenge expected behavioral conventions.
About Erwin Wurm
Throughout his career, Erwin has been creating art that both entertains and irritates at the same time- this has become his standard and style. When he creates art, Erwin strives to continually investigate the limits of human behavior by challenging the legitimacy of the norms and rules established by society.
Erwin Wurm’s work
Through his installations, Wurm comments on modern society and critiques it through his curious perspective of the world that has catapulted him to global fame and success. Throughout his career, Wurm’s transient performative one minute sculptures which he often photographs before exhibiting, have combined both humor and fundamental criticisms, which has paved the way for numerous explanations and interpretations from audiences.
Biography
Born in Austria in 1954 in Bruck an der Mur, Austria, Erwin has gained fame for his figures and sculptures, making rounds in biennials and galleries since the 80s. His work has been the subject of numerous museum exhibitions, including the National Gallery of Victoria, the National Museum of Art in Osaka, and many more. Today, he lives and works in Vienna.
