A police officer has issued a parking ticket to artist Erwin Wurm for one of his seemingly impossible car sculptures. Titled “Truck”, this installation of a bent red Mercedes-Benz food truck has won him a 30 euro fine. A joke, we suppose, to shine light on one of Austria’s most relevant and international sculptors.
The artist is known for redefining traditional sculpture by playing with the manipulation of volume and form. In his quest, he has twisted, inflated and stretched his creations into witty, absurd and often hilarious outcomes.
In Wurm’s words: “If you approach things with a sense of humor, people immediately assume you’re not to be taken seriously. But I think truths about society and human existence can be approached in different ways. You don’t always have to be deadly serious. Sarcasm and humor can help you see things in a lighter vein.”
This chubby version of the original sportsy model questions obesity, reflecting on our current value system, where the commercial world lures us to consuming more and more, and at the same time demands that we stay thin.
Erwin Wurm’s sailboat sculpture at the top of Hotel Daniel
More in his vehicle series. UFO conceptual art by Erwin Wurm.
“Truck” installation, by Erwin Wurm, and the ticket. The piece was installed as part of a 300th birthday celebration at the Centre for Art and Media Technology (ZKM). Photo vía Thisiscolossal
