Erwin Wurm, ONE DAY YES / ONE DAY NO Solo exhibition at Camden Arts Projects
“The question that has pervaded my work for four decades now is the following: can I use the idea of the sculptural to process everyday life and our time and to gain a new perspective or a new possibility for interpretation?”
—Erwin Wurm
Perhaps the best way to approach the main concept behind Erwin Wurm's career is to ask ourselves what he means by "the idea of sculptural." Is the “sculptural” intrinsically linked to concepts such as stillness, volume, and time? Undoubtedly, the Austrian artist's internationally renowned career suggests otherwise. In One Day Yes / One Day No, Erwin Wurm invites us to question our own preconceived perspective through new and recent work. With his unmistakable and paradoxical approach to our contemporary society, he gives us the opportunity to perceive reality in a different way. Perhaps even to "sculpt" time and our collective memory of everyday life with a new gaze.
In this exhibition, One Minute Sculptures—located on the gallery's mezzanine—operates as the conceptual pillar. In this piece, Erwin Wurm “uses simple props and instructions inviting the public to hold specific positions for one-minute. Often placed in an awkward or paradoxical relationship to the presented objects, the participating viewer becomes part of the sculpture for an ephemeral time.” Though it is not necessary to adhere strictly to the time span of a minute, it is merely a time frame for a ‘short time’. When participating in One Minute Sculptures, we become active subjects who are part of the exhibition, and therefore, we develop the opportunity to embody Erwin’s idea of sculpture.
