ERWIN WURM
ONE MINUTE FOREVER

MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS LIBEREC, LIBEREC, CZECHIA
17 OCTOBER 2026 – 28 MARCH 2027

In line with its long-term development strategy, the Museum of Fine Arts Liberec will present one of the most significant contemporary artists from Central Europe, the Austrian sculptor and conceptual artist Erwin Wurm. This exhibition will mark his very first solo presentation in the Czech Republic.

© Photos Ondřej Přibyl

The art of Erwin Wurm teaches us to distrust the things we take for granted and encourages us to look at the world without conventions or ingrained rules, which can quickly change with just a simple change in perspective. For Wurm, absurdity is not an escape from reality but an attempt at perceiving it more precisely. Deformation is not exaggeration, but the reality of the future. We live in an ever-accelerating world that leaves us less and less time for even a brief moment of reflection. The consumerism and surplus that surround us are not an automatic path toward a happy life. In fact, they often deform us and lead to disillusionment, burnout, and the dissipation of our unique identities, which are replaced by an empty shell devoid of any human substance—an empty designer suit without thoughts and feelings or emotions.

© Photos Ondřej Přibyl

Erwin Wurm is renowned for his inexhaustible sense of humour and finely honed sarcasm, reflected throughout his work, whether in the unnaturally swollen cars of the Fat Cars series, the claustrophobic Narrow House, or the ghost-like figures of the Substitutes. In his works, he delivers a highly sophisticated critique of the false ideals of contemporary society—its utilitarianism, formalism, and fondness for kitsch—while prompting viewers to reflect on the stereotypical conventions we so often accept without question. At the Museum of Fine Arts Liberec, Wurm’s work will be presented through a selection of pieces, including the iconic One Minute Sculptures, Substitutes, Skins, Bags, and others, offering an overview of the most significant stages of the artist’s career, with a particular focus on the past decade.

© Photo Ondřej Přibyl

© Photo Matej Kania

Curated by Filip Suchomel

FEATURED ARTIST

ERWIN WURM
Erwin Wurm (b. 1954 in Bruck an der Mur, Austria) lives and works in Vienna. His oeuvre comprises sculptures, photography, video, performance, and painting. His works often involve everyday objects such as cars, houses, clothing, luxury bags, and food products, with which he ironically comments on consumerism and capitalist mass production. Wurm gained widespread popularity in the 1990s with his “One Minute Sculptures”. Museum pedestals are displayed and left devoid of any work, so that the audience can take the place of the sculpture for one minute, according to the artist’s whimsical instructions. With this ironic yet radical gesture, Wu...
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