urs fischer at venice art biennale 2011

‘untitled’ – 2011 wax pigments wicks, steel installation dimensions variable image © designboom

‘untitled’, 2011 by urs fischer is on show in the arsenale complex at this year’s venice art biennale under the title ‘illuminations’. his work involves three 1:1 sized wax candle sculptures. the figures will violently self-destruct during the months-long show, as the wax melts and limbs start to drop off.

urs fischer’s work at the 54th biennale image © designboom

ithe viewer’ interacts with a full-scale cast of giovanni bologna’s 16th-century sculpture, ‘the rape of the sabine women’ — the label on the wall laconically describes the dimensions as ‘variable’.

urs fischer’s work at the 54th biennale image © designboom

urs fischer’s work at the 54th biennale image © designboom

urs fischer’s work at the 54th biennale image © designboom

urs fischer’s work at the 54th biennale image © designboom

urs fischer’s work at the 54th biennale image © designboom

this office seat is a candle image © designboom

urs fischer’s work at the 54th biennale image © designboom

urs fischer’s work at the 54th biennale image © designboom

the artworks of the installation are made of wax pigments, wicks and steel structure : dimensions variable  (edition of 2 +1AP). the artist is represented by galerie eve presenhuber, zurich — the participation in the venice biennale has been made possible through the additional support of the city of zurich.

venice art biennale 2011

the 54th international art exhibition, with the title of ILLUminations (ILLUMInazioni), curated by swiss art historian bice curiger — the curator of the zurich kunsthaus and co-founder of the art magazine ‘parkett’ — opened on saturday june 4th and will be accessible to the public until november 27th, 2011.