“The ordinary is so close and so familiar to us that we overlook it. Looking at the ordinary from the perspective of the absurd and the paradox gives us the opportunity to see something different, perhaps more interesting.”
– Erwin Wurm
In Instructions For Idleness, Austrian scuplter Erwin Wurm (2001) shares his recipe for a do-nothing life. Of course, he was bothered to take the pictures and create a book, so it’s highly likely the prolific artist doesn’t practice idleness. But he does want to represent it, turning idleness into a witty performance.
His website adds:
Since 1986, Erwin used photography essentially as a tool for keeping trace of his ephemeral sculptures. His photographs are parts of his sculptural research and therefore he considers them as sculptures as well.
(Photos used with permission of t-archivist).
“When I grew up, many artists dealt with big questions through pathos, through heaviness. Pathos makes people small. I like to make people levitate.”
– Wurm
“I do not make jokes! The perspective from which I examine our times may seem bizarre and comical to some people, but in fact, these are topics that should get under one’s skin. So yes, the laughter should catch in your throat. After all, laughter can easily cause us to neglect a more serious engagement with something. For me, therefore, humour is primarily a method for getting people’s attention — it should ultimately prompt people to look at things more carefully.”
– Erwin Wurm
Via: Plastermag, Design Museum,