France has the world’s narrowest house

Wurm approaches everyday subjects with an essayist’s sensibility, using ironic hyperbole and insidious paradox to provoke reflection and wryly neutralize the anthropological and political overtones of his work. . “In my opinion, there is great power in play, real destructive power,” says Wurm. “Humor and play make it possible to ask many questions and convey many things without becoming offensive or dogmatic.” It is also an important element in another work by this famous artist born in Der Mur. narrow house, is the narrowest house in the world (7 meters high and 16 meters long, but only 1.4 meters wide!). Although other models of this typical 1960s suburban home exist, it is the only one on permanent outdoor display in the ideal setting of Place Claude Hérignac in Le Havre, Normandy. .

Humor and playfulness are also the key to another work by this artist, born in Bruck an der Meur in 1953, the famous Narrow House.

Narrow house, photo courtesy of Studio Erwin Wurm

unlivable house

narrow house, its unmistakable silhouette looks like an early silent film set, a funhouse ripped from a Buster Keaton movie, but it has a much deeper meaning. Surrounded by a garden of trees, Wurm’s “uninhabitable” installation is a modern and fantastical reinterpretation of his family home. Walking inside is an undeniably disorienting experience. Objects and furniture appear squashed and unrealistic. As the visit progresses, room after room eventually becomes too small to be accessed, accentuating the feeling of claustrophobia and forcing the visitor to flee through the exit door in search of peace. A series of photographs on the walls of the house give visitors a hint about its inhabitants.

Walking inside is an undeniably disorienting experience. Objects and furniture appear squashed and unrealistic.

Narrow house, photo courtesy of Studio Erwin Wurm