Art + Auction
December 2011
Art on the Rocks
"For centuries alcohol has played an important role in the art scene," declares Austrian artist Erwin Wurm. It certainly has been integral to the success of Art Basel Miami Beach. So it's appropriate that the artist's latest series, "Drinking Sculptures," is getting its U.S. premiere at the Bass Museum of Art in a solo show that opens the same day as the fair. The sculptures appear to be reconstructed vintage nightstands, credenzas, and closets that open to reveal bottles of liquor. However, Wurm considers them complete only when the viewer is drunk.