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 Barbican as muse: composer Shiva Feshareki on bringing the brutalist icon to life through musicFor the last two years, British-Iranian experimental composer and turntablist Shiva Feshareki has been drawing on the Barbican’s hidden history as a gateway for her new piece. She talks to Wallpaper* about her Brutalist muse
-
London's coolest design-led coffee shops for your Fashion Week fixCoffee shops are the heart of London’s neighbourhoods, discover those fusing speciality beans and stylish interiors for the perfect brew
-
Martine Rose’s first gallery show celebrates the radical queer energy of Bronski BeatTaking place at Sadie Coles over London Fashion Week, ‘Everything Must Change’ centres on a 2016 short film by menswear designer Martine Rose and image-maker Sharna Osborne starring Bronski Beat frontman Jimmy Somerville
-
In ‘The Last Showgirl’, nostalgia is a drug like any otherGia Coppola takes us to Las Vegas after the party has ended in new film starring Pamela Anderson, The Last Showgirl
-
‘American Photography’: centuries-spanning show reveals timely truthsAt the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Europe’s first major survey of American photography reveals the contradictions and complexities that have long defined this world superpower
-
Don't miss these seven artists at Frieze Los AngelesFrieze LA returns for its sixth edition, running 20-23 February, showcasing over 100 galleries from more than 20 countries, as well as local staples featuring the city’s leading creatives
-
Pop culture, nostalgia and familiarity: Sam McKinniss in LAArtist Sam McKinniss’ solo exhibition of paintings at David Kordansky Gallery in Los Angeles taps into familiarity, loss, and nostalgia
-
Sundance Film Festival 2025: The films we can't wait to watchSundance Film Festival, which runs 23 January - 2 February, has long been considered a hub of cinematic innovation. These are the ones to watch from this year’s premieres
-
What is RedNote? Inside the social media app drawing American users ahead of the US TikTok banDownloads of the Chinese-owned platform have spiked as US users look for an alternative to TikTok, which faces a ban on national security grounds. What is Rednote, and what are the implications of its ascent?
-
Architecture and the new world: The Brutalist reframes the American dreamBrady Corbet’s third feature film, The Brutalist, demonstrates how violence is a building block for ideology
-
Inside the distorted world of artist George RouyFrequently drawing comparisons with Francis Bacon, painter George Rouy is gaining peer points for his use of classic techniques to distort the human form
