EXPO Erwin Wurm - Wear me out at Middelheim Museum to 25 September 2011

Multi-faceted, surprising, humorous: all are perfect descriptions of the work of Austrian artist Erwin Wurm (b. 1954). Wurm is a sculptor in heart and soul, fascinated by volume, the human form, abstraction and figurative shapes.

From 29 May to 25 September 2011, the Middelheim Museum will be a playground for contemporary artist Erwin Wurm. The Austrian artist will be placing 25 works among the pieces of the permanent collection. He is creating three new pieces for the Braem Pavilion.

The exhibition WEAR ME OUT true voyage of discovery through the open-air museum, along which the visitor can wonder at Wurm’s expressive art, while at the same time becoming a part of it. Erwin Wurm has invited Antwerp fashion designer, Walter Van Beirendonck, to collaborate for the occasion.

Wurm works in a wide range of media and materials, from the very traditional to the utterly modern: bronze, polyester, drawings, large and small sculptures, text, installations and even his own body. But the work he creates with them is far from traditional. Sometimes it ends up disappearing altogether, as was the case with his international public breakthrough One Minute Sculptures.

Throughout his work, Wurm looks to today’s society for inspiration, and both people and everyday objects play a central role. Those objects, and the postures and distortions that they impose on the body, give rise to reflections on people’s physical and mental states. Unexpected and comical situations emerge as a result. Wurm’s exhibitions are always fascinating and fun.

For the first time, the Middelheim Museum is bringing a large selection of Wurm’s work into the open air. In addition, the artist invites visitors to become a work of art themselves, either as One Minute Sculptures or as part of something truly monumental. In the Braem Pavilion, Erwin Wurm will present new work created especially for this exhibition, with his Performative Sculptures, or living sculptures, as centrepiece.

About the Museum
History
Middelheim’s history in a nutshell
The Middle Ages
Middelheim is very old. In 1342, an unknown author referred to ‘a city called Middelheim'. The oldest landowner that can still be traced was Laureys Van Aerschot de Jonghe. He owned the grounds and estates in 1399.

16th to 20th century
From the sixteenth century onward, many Antwerp families had their summer residence there. The 'castle' was converted in the eighteenth century in the Louis XVI style, probably to plans of the Parisian architect, B. Guimard.

Public park
In 1910, the Middelheim estate was bought by the Municipality of Antwerp, to prevent it being parcelled out. The Municipality had it opened up as a public park and made parts of the grounds available for the establishment of the Middelheim hospital, the University of Antwerp and the Pastoral and Theological Centre.

Open-air sculpture museum
In 1950, an international sculpture exhibition was organised for the first time in the Middelheim Park (20 hectares). At the suggestion of Mayor Lode Craeybeckx, the town council decided to create a permanent open-air sculpture museum in the grounds. The internationally renowned biennial sculpture exhibitions have been taking place since 1951, always in the summer months. The event takes place in the grounds of Middelheim-Laag, on the far side of the Middelheim Park. In 1989, the 20th biennial concluded the series.

The Braem Pavilion
The Braem Pavilion was inaugurated in 1971, to the design of the Antwerp architect, Renaat Braem. Here you can admire smaller sculptures and works from the collection that cannot be displayed in the open air.

Antwerp 1993 Capital of Culture
Since Antwerp 1993 Capital of Culture, the museum has been following a new direction and the acquisition budget is being spent on contemporary art. Work is acquired at international level, from artists who are already recognised in contemporary art history.

http://www.middelheimmuseum.be

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