The profaneness of Erwin Wurm’s works is a fundamental aspect of his artistic output. This ranges from cucumbers and sausages to cars and houses in a variety of shapes. The familiarity of the objects serves primarily to create a sense of trust in the viewer. But these everyday objects are divorced from their primary function – the artist strips them of their meaning. What the viewer perceives is something that has visibly “gotten out of shape.” The bus, for instance, is an outsized, corpulent version of the real thing. The work is an ironic commentary on our modern lifestyle, torn between the ideal of slimness and physical perfection on the one hand, and increasing levels of obesity on the other. 

Erwin Wurm was born in Bruck an der Mur in 1954 and studied at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, at the Academy of Fine Arts, and the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. He lives and works in Limberg, Lower Austria. As one of Austria's most important and internationally renowned sculptors, Erwin Wurm’s works are on display at exhibitions and museums around the world. He was awarded the Grand Austrian State Prize in 2013.