What’s it like to looked at as a work of art? For the first time, Los Angelenos can find out.
Erwin Wurm’s widely exhibited One Minute Sculptures, developed in 1980s by the Austrian artist, proffer museum-goers instructions (either in the form of a written description or suggestive drawing) to enact with props he has placed in the space, in order to become a piece of art for 60 seconds. The documented results are invariably surreal, comedic, a test of the boldness – and often, of the balance – of the viewer.
At MAK Center for Art and Architecture’s Schindler House until March 27, Wurm’s work instigates a new set of sculptures with Californian crowds: The objects they might activate include sneakers, buckets, fluffy toys and sticks of wood.
It is all poised for hilarity and for a new kind of experience in the museum space, where the usual dynamic between viewer and artwork is passive, delineated by a 'Don’t Touch' sign. Wurm has always stressed, however, that humorous work doesn’t mean that the intent that underpins it is not serious: The quick sculptures are as much a reflection on the way we interact with the art world as how we do so in our surroundings in general. They can convey how willing people in different environments are to engage with what’s around them, and to be laughed at – or to participate in the laughter. While most might balk at the words 'interactive art', Wurm’s pieces literally reimagine the banal.
Developed in the 1980s by the Austrian artist, museum-goers are instructed to enact with props Wurm has placed in the space
The objects they might activate include sneakers (picured), buckets, fluffy toys and sticks of wood
Wurm has always stressed, however, that humorous work doesn’t mean that the intent that underpins is not serious
The quick sculptures are as much a reflection on the way we interact with the art world as with our surroundings in general
INFORMATION
Erwin Wurm’s ’One Minute Sculptures’ is on view until 27 March. For more details, visit the website
Photography: Joshua White
ADDRESS
MAK Center for Art and Architecture
35 N Kings Rd
West Hollywood
Los Angeles, California
-
The eight hotly awaited art-venue openings we are most looking forward to in 2026With major new institutions gearing up to open their doors, it is set to be a big year in the art world. Here is what to look out for
-
This modern Clapham house is nestled indulgently in its gardenA Clapham house keeps a low profile in south London, at once merging with its environment and making a bold, modern statement; we revisit a story from the Wallpaper* archives
-
The new Tudor Ranger watches master perfectly executed simplicityThe Tudor Ranger watches look back to the 1960s for a clean and legible design
-
Robert Therrien's largest-ever museum show in Los Angeles is enduringly appealing'This is a Story' at The Broad unites 120 of Robert Therrien's sculptures, paintings and works on paper
-
Nadia Lee Cohen distils a distant American memory into an unflinching new photo book‘Holy Ohio’ documents the British photographer and filmmaker’s personal journey as she reconnects with distant family and her earliest American memories
-
Ed Ruscha’s foray into chocolate is sweet, smart and very AmericanArt and chocolate combine deliciously in ‘Made in California’, a project from the artist with andSons Chocolatiers
-
Jamel Shabazz’s photographs are a love letter to Prospect ParkIn a new book, ‘Prospect Park: Photographs of a Brooklyn Oasis, 1980 to 2025’, Jamel Shabazz discovers a warmer side of human nature
-
The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles launches the seventh iteration of its highly anticipated artist biennialOne of the gallery's flagship exhibitions, Made in LA showcases the breadth and depth of the city's contemporary art scene
-
Thomas Prior’s photography captures the uncanny fragility of American lifeA new book unites two decades of the photographer’s piercing, uneasy work
-
Central Park’s revitalised Delacorte Theater gears up for a new futureEnnead Architects helmed an ambitious renovation process that has given the New York City cultural landmark a vibrant and more accessible future
-
Stephen Prina borrows from pop, classical and modern music: now MoMA pays tribute to his performance work‘Stephen Prina: A Lick and a Promise’ recalls the artist, musician, and composer’s performances, and is presented throughout MoMA. Prina tells us more
