Wurm is an Austrian sculptor known for his humorous works. He alters and distorts familiar objects from everyday life, transforming them into bizarre and amusing creations. Among his well-known series are “Fat Cars” and “Fat House,” where he inflated and distorted—at life size—a private house and an actual car using materials like foam polyurethane and lacquer-coated styrofoam. According to Wurm, “I use humor to lure people in, to make them approach, but once they get close, it’s not so pleasant.
” At first, it seems as though his sole purpose is to entertain and amuse, but in reality, he critiques the values and consumer culture of the West, where people are obsessed with cars, large homes, and materialism. In the 1990s, he gained fame for his “One Minute Sculptures,” where he and the audience created a strange and intriguing connection with everyday objects for one minute during the exhibition. These sculptures prompted the viewer to question the definition of sculpture, as they were temporary and fleeting works, preserved only in photographs or videos.
