ERWIN WURM

Wurm’s Flat Sculptures, which he began in 2021, marks the latest evolution in the artist’s experiments with sculpture’s formal qualities. In this series Wurm takes the idea of flattening volume to an extreme, creating “flat sculptures” with paint on canvas. For each composition he selects a single word relating to other series or sculptural concerns (such as ‘brot,’ ‘weight,’ or ‘mold’) and expands it to fill the entire picture plane, ballooning and distorting the text almost past recognition. Rendered in pastel pink, light blue, or electric chartreuse—all signature colours in Wurm’s palette—the paintings navigate a narrow border between representation and abstraction, reflecting Wurm’s recent interest in moving away from figuration.

Also part of this exhibition are the artist’s new Skins sculptures, which further evince his growing commitment to abstraction. Cast from aluminium and painted stark white, these works visualise slivers from an imagined figure, often spotlighting a specific gesture or pose. In Bending Left, a bare foot can be made out at the base of the plinth, along with a portion of blue jeans and a back pocket. Further up, the work dissolves, twisting as if blown by the wind before resolving itself into an outstretched hand. Throughout the Skins series, as recognisable elements disintegrate into unrecognisable ones, the human figure seems ever present, if invisible. Here, Wurm plays on the classic image of the sculptor drawing form out of a block of raw stone, seeming to draw his Skins directly from the ether.

The exhibition will also feature new work from other series, including Wurm’s Bag Sculptures and Abstract Sculptures. Wurm’s handbag series reflects the artist’s belief that objects are often extensions of their owners and used to project personal identity. Here, the designer handbags—which often serve as symbols of sophistication, wealth, and social status—are given legs and set in motion. Wurm’s sausage works, in which bronze sausages are given arms, legs, and feet, are similarly anthropomorphised and seemingly imbued with human emotion, creating a precarious line between person- and objecthood. Across the exhibition, Wurm continues his experiments with the principles of sculpture, pushing into new formal and conceptual territories.