Friday, June 16, 2017

Housing related art installations in Vienna

By chance, I came across two fascinating art installations by Erwin Wurm.
I was particularly intrigued by his Narrow House. Here's the explanation and a few pictures: (I liked the work much more than the narrative!)

Erwin Wurm "shrank" his parents' house to reflect the mentality of Austria during the postwar period; the design of the house is typical of the 1950s, but a fraction as wide. The house is furnished with shrunken furniture. This piece was inspired by Wurm's childhood, since he grew up during the 1950s through 1970s in postwar Austria. Growing up, he lived with his parents; his mother stayed at home and his father was a policeman.[8] Therefore, it was difficult to express himself both at school and at home. This limited view has affected Wurm's philosophy of art strongly, and Narrow House is a physical manifestation of it. When the viewers walk through, they feel the tension and claustrophobia that Wurm experienced on a daily basis as a child.

 

The Fat House can be found on the grounds of the Belevedere Museum. It contains a video projection in which the very same swollen building argues with himself and poses existential questions to the incoming visitor, such as: ‘When does a house become art and who determines that?’
The obese house contains a video projection in which the very same swollen building argues with himself and poses existential questions to the incoming visitor, such as: ‘When does a house become art and who determines that?’

 

No comments: